My Enemy's Enemy
by Egoperceptum
Summary: After her mother's death, Regina finds a terrible surprise hidden among the witch's belongings. Unfortunately, the only one able to cure her from the ailment is Emma...if she agrees. Strong language and mature themes. First stab at SwanQueen :)
1. Chapter 1

The knotted rope of aged twine lay on the desk. Regina brushed it gently with her well-manicured fingertips. She had begun periodically taking it out of the well-organized draw of the desk in her town office. Though she was no longer mayor and had been forced to relinquish her reign to Snow White and her sickening family, she was, after all, the face of the town to outsiders; appearances must be kept up.

The twine lay innocently on the desk as she considered the scene by which she had come into possession of it. The kind-natured child that had offered it to her; he was, on some level, Henry's predecessor. It was Owen's influence in Regina's life that had led her to believe that a son could fill the aching need in her heart.

Now, Owen had turned into the balding, desperate-eyed man questing for his father. Regina's mouth turned down in a frown as she considered the conversation she had with Mendel the previous week. She had yet to run him out of town because she had been loath to actually make good on the threats she had been making.

Pushing herself up from her desk and striding to the decanter in the corner she considered the look in her son's eyes when she had burned the love spell. Fear and hope and relief had flickered there; before he had turned and promptly run into the Sheriff's arms. Anger rankled through her at the remembrance of the blonde's surprised gaze on the fireball in Regina's hand.

Emma had been seemed astounded that the mayor was capable of selflessness. Had Regina not proved that she could do what was best for Henry in spite of her initial reaction? Did she not deserve a little benefit of the doubt? She muttered to herself as she sipped her cider.

Images of Snow dropping to the ground, apple in hand; James fighting desperately against iron bars; Graham's wild eyes glaring up at her in hate from the sheets of her bed. How many lives had she ruined? All for the sake of what she wanted. Henry knew the truth now and there was no going back. Regina sighed and took a mouthful of bourbon behind her teeth. Spending the past months without him had been torturous; she was resolved to do what it took to prove her love for him.

She turned back to the desk and sat down once more. The twine brought between her fingers and grazed across her lips. So what was she to do about Owen/Mendel? A thought struck her mind and she pushed it away violently. She loathed the idea of turning to her enemy for help but knew that she needed to follow due process if she was ever to see Henry looking at her with trust in his eyes.

Regina refilled her glass before picking up the phone on her desk. She dialed a familiar number and brought the receiver to her delicate ear.

"Sheriff Swan."

"Sheriff." Regina said a paragraph in one word.

"Madam Mayor." Emma said out of reflex. Regina was no longer the mayor but she wasn't quite ready to accept her as the Evil Queen either. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"I have some information I want to discuss with you."

"If this about those kids egging your house-" Emma began but Regina waved a hand, she of course couldn't see, to an empty room and interrupted.

"No, Miss Swan, this about our friend Mr. Mendel."

There was silence on the other end of the room as Emma fought to ask the question on the tip of her tongue. Namely, _What did you do to him? _Instead, she cleared her throat and cast a meaningful glance across the police station to her father. "Is everything ok?"

Regina chose to ignore the accusation in the blonde's voice. "Yes, quite alright, for now. I just wished to discuss how best to deal with his unwelcome presence." Her voice lowered and Emma could hear the secrecy across the phone.

"What do you know that you aren't telling me?"

"Tomorrow night, Sheriff Swan." Regina replied. "Please stop by my house and we will discuss what I know." There was silence on the other end of the phone and the brunette cleared her throat. "Miss Swan?"

"Sure, tomorrow night." Emma closed her eyes and gave a shrug that Regina could hear over the line. "I'll be there." She hung up the phone and James stood tentatively.

"Regina?"

"Yes." She sighed and leaned against her desk.

"What did she want?" Bare suspicion swan in his sparkling blue eyes.

"She wants to tell me what she knows about Mendel." The words coming from her mouth sounded absurd; Regina, offering help?

"What does she know?"

"Beats me." She shrugged narrow shoulders at her father. "But she wants me to come over tomorrow night."

"To her house?" James burst out with his pale face reddening. Emma just stared at him and answered him with her eyes. "Emma, you can't go-" he began.

"I have to."

"It's what she wants. It has to be a trap."

"You saw her burn the spell." Emma put her hands in her pockets.

"I did, I also saw the desperation in her eyes."

Emma looked down; he had her there. She had seen the desperation and grief in Regina's eyes as well. Emma knew better than most that a desperate woman was the most dangerous…but she had burned the spell. "Look, Mendel is a problem. Regina and I are in agreement there." She tousled her blonde curls absently. "Regina knows that he could destroy our lives if we slip up; therefore, we have a common goal. That has to stand for something, doesn't it?" She asked herself more than her father who was watching her closely.

"You remind me so much of your mother." He said fondly, though he wasn't smiling.

Emma's mouth twitched but she arched a brow; she was still getting used to the whole family thing. "How so?"

"She was always willing to give Regina just one more shot." He came to her and put his hands on her biceps. "But it never made any difference back then."

"She didn't have Henry back then." Emma muttered and pulled away gently. "I get it. Really, I do." She said. "I know you know her as Regina, the Evil Queen. But I see her as Regina, the Mayor, and Henry's other mother."

"Emma, I'll admit. She's not the same woman we knew in the Enchanted Forest." He closed his eyes and opened them slowly as if emphasizing his words to his daughter. "But the fact remains that she has done unspeakable things and that she is more than capable of doing those things again."

"Maybe." Emma shrugged him off and walked around behind her desk to gather her coat and keys; leaving him standing in the middle of the room. "I'll take patrol tonight so that you can work it tomorrow night when I go to the Mayor's." She said and twirled the keys.

The cold night air penetrated her nose and lungs, clearing the fog in her mind. She slid behind the wheel of the patrol car and started the engine; willing the car to heat up more quickly. She appreciated the concern in her father's voice and the exasperated compliment he had handed her about her resemblance to her mother. But the fact was, she wasn't trying to give Regina another chance; she was simply glad that the woman was offering her a plan for dealing with the major threat that the stranger posed. The blonde had been expecting to simply wake up and find the man's corpse one morning. It relieved her that Regina wasn't going to unleash her vigilante brand of magic.

But what had caused the Mayor (Emma still thought of her as such) to change her crooked mind? The blonde hadn't heard in guile in the woman's voice; but as it was, Regina's husky tones had always been difficult for her to read. Why was she choosing to turn to Emma now? Offering knowledge which Emma knew that Regina viewed as power? It just didn't add up with the woman's previous actions and the surprise of it all set the blonde on edge. Emma didn't like to think of what she would have to agree to for the brunette to divulge what she knew; if she actually knew anything.

She knocked the car into gear and began her route. Emma sighed and admitted to herself that her father was probably right. How many times had the mayor betrayed she and Henry? How many more chances would they give her before they learned their lesson? How many more times would Henry have to be hurt before Emma put a stop to it? She sighed again and turned down the street.

She pulled over on the curb and watched as snowflakes hit the windshield and melted slowly. She hated the idea of running to Regina because she dangled a morsel of knowledge from her long, wicked fingers. The exquisite face swam into her memory and her mind's eye watched the mayor purse her full, smirking lips and arch a brow. Anger bubbled to the surface and Emma whipped out her phone, with half a mind to dial the woman up and tell her exactly where she could shove her proposed parley. Her fingers rubbed over the dialpad on her screen as the words 'Mayor Mills' popped up with a little green phone icon.

Emma laid her head on the steering wheel as another image of the mayor flashed into her mind. Regina's look of wonder and fear when she found that Emma could do magic, the animal grief in her slumped body as she clutched her dead mother's body, the sincerity in her eyes as she burned the spell. These were portraits of the Regina she knew. Emma slammed her fist down on the dashboard. "Damn!" she growled and tossed her phone into the passenger side, resuming her patrol.


	2. Chapter 2

The following night, Emma found herself on the mayor's doorstep. She knocked but did not have to wait long in the cold before she heard the clicking of Regina's ever-favorite four-inch heels. The door swung open and the mayor's cold smile washed over her. "Sheriff Swan."

"Madam Mayor." Emma returned her cold expression.

"Please, come in." the brunette stepped back and gestured Emma across the threshold. "What are you drinking tonight, Miss Swan?" She asked.

Emma watched her swish her hips as she lead her into the parlor and made her way to the assortment of decanters in the corner.

"Whatever you have." She said guardedly.

"You seem like a whiskey drinker."

"Whatever you like." Emma answered again in a noncommittal voice. Regina poured a healthy jigger of amber into a glass and handed it to Emma.

"Please, sit." She waved an elegant hand to the expensive couch across the room. Emma sat stiffly on the sofa and watched as the mayor poured her own glass from a different bottle. The brunette sat on the opposite couch and swirled the liquor in her glass, watching the blonde closely. "Tennessee."

"Excuse me?"

Regina found the blank expression on Emma's face satisfying. "Tennessee whiskey." She sipped her bourbon. "I find Tennessee whiskey to appeal the most to my palate. It is what I stock."

"Right." Emma took a sip and found that the cold woman had good taste in whiskey; though it was more expensive than her own usual nosh. "So, you have information about Mendel?"

"Indeed, Miss Swan." Regina watched her closely before sipping the liquid in her crystal glass. "I wanted to tell you all that I know so that you can take care of the problem." She set her glass down and leaned forward. Not for the first time, Emma noticed the sloped, graceful dip of her cleavage.

The blonde drug her eyes away and narrowed them at the brunette. "You want me to take care of him? How?"

"However you see fit."

"Why do I get the feeling that you are about to drop a bomb on me?"

Regina smiled wickedly, "Because that is what our history suggests." She watched Emma fidget nervously. "Prepare yourself, Miss Swan, for a very exciting story." She sipped her liquor and ran her manicured finger around the rim of the crystal glass; a low ringing crossed the room and put Emma on edge.

When Regina finished her tale she stood, crossed to the decanter and poured another serving of amber liquid into her glass. Emma sat with her head reeling. She watched the dark woman's motions as she stood with her back to her. The blonde looked down at her half-finished whiskey and downed it in one gulp. "Another drink, Sheriff?" Regina tossed over her shoulder.

"Hell, yeah." Emma muttered and stood. She gripped the bottle aggressively and gave herself a healthy portion of Regina's liquor. She followed the brunette back to the sitting area and plopped back down on the couch.

"Questions?" Regina prompted. Emma held up a finger as she thought.

"Why are you telling me this?" Surprise flashed in Regina's eyes and Emma caught the look. "What?"

"I actually expected you to ask me if I were lying."

"I've known you long enough to know when you're lying."

"Hmm." Regina considered this as she watched the sardonic blonde. "I told you because…" she paused, obviously struggling with what she was about to say. "Because there is nothing that I can really do about the situation."

"You're the Evil Queen." Emma said slowly.

"I'm aware." Her voice was short and she pursed her red, red lips in distaste of the blonde's lack of tact. "However, if I ever want Henry to…" she trailed off once again and looked into the glass in her lap fighting the vulnerability from her face. It seemed she had more difficulty doing that these days. Especially when Emma Swan was around. "If I want to be able to be honest with him, I cannot simply kill the man, now can I?"

The blonde noticed the sincerity and vulnerability that floated unwillingly to Regina's dark eyes; but she chose to ignore it. "I suppose not." Emma said and took a graceless slug of her whiskey. "Not to mention the obvious moral implications of ending a man's life." The quip came effortlessly and the brunette across from her gave a long-suffering arch of her well-groomed eyebrow.

"Right." Regina said dryly as Emma took another pull on her drink. "So, Miss Swan, I am passing this off to you so that you can handle this. I think it best if I have as little contact with him as possible."

"I agree; we don't want him to do anything rash." Emma nodded her head. She drained her glass and stood.

"What makes you think he'll do something rash if he sees me?" Regina stood and took the empty crystal from her.

The blonde's face twisted into a wry smile, "Because, you kinda inspire that in people, Madam Mayor."

"I disagree."

"I don't think your apple tree would." She tossed over her shoulder out the door. Regina watched her go, her mouth fighting between a snarl and a twisted smile.

Emma filled in her parents about the spill Regina had given her.

"So this man, Mendel, is really a little boy that Regina met almost thirty years ago?" James questioned as he popped the top of a Blue Moon and passed it to his daughter.

"Exactly."

"Wow," he whistled. "Puts it into perspective how long we were asleep, doesn't it?"

"It also makes sense about Regina wanting Henry." Snow observed.

"How so?" James questioned.

"Well, she found fulfillment in Owen." Snow explained. "She was sure to try to replicate that after she didn't get what she initially wanted." She explains. "It makes her sound…human."

"Almost." Emma said and drank half her beer before putting it on the counter. She was feeling a bit flushed after Regina's liquor.

Snow acknowledged this with a nod of her head. "But she's giving the responsibility to you? Why?"

"For Henry." Emma lowered her voice and glanced upward to where her son was sleeping in the room above. "She basically said she doesn't want to do anything to screw up her relationship with him any more than she already has."

"She said that?" James looked surprised.

"Not in so many words, but that was the gist I got, yeah."

"Interesting." Snow said. "How do we know that this isn't some sort of trap?"

"Because," Emma sighed almost regretfully. "She was telling the truth."

"All of it?" James questioned. Emma looked from him to her mother with understanding eyes. They knew better than she did that Regina always had an angle. For the first time, Emma fully appreciated that they were her parents. Before, they had been her friends. She had cared for them, laughed with them, and felt for them as they struggled against and with one another. But now, the timid and lost nature of Mary-Margaret was gone; leaving a strong, protective Snow White in her place. The man, her father, was changed too. Tenderness consumed his blue eyes, as did a sparkle of merriment and contentment that had not been present before.

In Emma's opinion, they were the best friends she could have and she was grateful that she had the opportunity to sit and discuss personal matters with them. Though it had been a long time coming, and Emma was still dealing with the bitterness and sting of their abandonment as well as the weight of responsibility they had placed on her infant shoulders, she was glad to have them in her life.

Emma took a sip of her beer and tilted her head. "No. She was definitely leaving portions of the story out. But I got the feeling that they were parts that would make her look bad."

"And that's the last thing the Queen wants to do; look bad." Snow rolled her big green eyes.

"But that's just it." Emma drank her beer again. "She usually doesn't give two shits about what I think about her."

"Maybe she's afraid you won't help if you feel like you're cleaning up her mess." James offered.

"Perhaps, but that's what I do all the time anyway; clean up after Regina." The blonde shook her curls. "So why leave parts out now? Why not be completely honest?"

Neither Snow nor James could answer her question. "Maybe it's just not physically possible for her to be honest." James said gently, his eyes held too much understanding for Emma's liking. She shrugged as if it made no difference.

"At any rate, I'm going to take care of it. I don't want him killed and that's what she'll resort to if I can't figure out a way to get a handle on this." She drained her beer, uncrossed her long legs, and slipped from the barstool. "Goodnight." She waved vaguely and didn't miss the worried expression exchange between her parents.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina lounged on her couch and sipped more of her bourbon. She stared at the spot that Emma had vacated an hour previously and dwelled on the exchange. She had divulged more than she wanted but she knew it was necessary. Sighing, she stood and suddenly realized how much she had had to drink. Shaking her head slightly, she made her way up the stairs of her darkened, empty manor. But the brunette stopped at the top and glanced to the room down the hall on the left.

After Cora's death, she had transported all of her mother's things to that bedroom. Aside from her frantic search of the possessions and their transportation, she had not touched them. Deciding that she had had enough liquor to be brave, she squared her petite shoulders and headed down the hall.

When she opened the door, the light from the hallway cast a beam on the large trunk of books just inside the door. Regina took a deep breath and flipped on the light; almost expecting Cora to materialize. When she didn't, the brunette stepped in and opened the trunk with shaking fingers. Inside were shelves of books. Mostly guides to potions, plants, spells, and curses. Picking what seemed the most formidable and dog-eared of all, she took it into her hands and felt the ridges of the book's spine; almost lovingly caressing it with her fingers.

The book was tattered and smelled of ancient power and sin. Regina opened it to where her mother had left a bookmark. Suddenly, light erupted and the witch was blown backward. Her shoulders hit the wall on the opposite side of the bed and she crumpled to the floor; knocked cold.

Emma sat at her desk, reviewing Mendel's medical records she had elicited from Whale. With a donut hanging from her mouth she read over the dry report and mentally reproached herself for not paying more attention to her high school biology teacher. Snapping the file shut and rubbing her eyes she sighed. _Why am I doing this? _She asked herself. _Because he can ruin everything. _ Came the snarky reply of her consciousness. _Not for Regina? _Came another sly voice. _Definitely not_. She replied to herself once more.

She sighed once again and thought about the pain that had briefly flashed in the mayor's dark eyes the night before. _Serves her right, fucking everyone over to get what she wants._ But even as she thought the remark she felt an annoying pang of guilt. Resigning herself to an unpleasant task, she stood, grabbed her jacket, and headed out to find their friend Greg Mendel.

Regina came to, lying in a rumpled heap on the floor of the guest bedroom. She lunged upward and pulled herself up by the sheets of the bed. Her head was splitting and her back aching from where it had slammed into the wall. She was sure she would have some spectacular bruises. Shaking the fog from her mind she listened intently to where she could hear her phone ringing. Scrambling on unsteady legs, she jumped up and whipped out her phone to find that Emma was calling.

Clearing her throat, she answered. "Sheriff."

"Mayor." Emma said and then looked down at her watch. "Did I wake you?"

Regina looked at her own watch to find it was ten after eleven. "No, Miss Swan. Why were you calling?"

Emma hesitated. The woman didn't sound like her usual snappy self. "I talked to our friend." She said vaguely. Regina could hear cars in the background and knew the Sheriff was on the street and trying to be discrete.

"And? What did he say?"

"Nothing of value. But I can tell he's lying."

"I could have told you that, Miss Swan." A bite of her old impatience trickling into her voice.

For some inexplicable reason, this comforted Emma. "Right, well I couldn't exactly ask point blank about his trip here thirty years ago, could I? No, I asked him how his stay was and if he had enjoyed his time in town and all that."

"And?" Regina asked again as she tenderly explored the sore muscles of her back.

"He was nervous and somewhat short with me." Regina hissed when her fingers found a very tender bruise on her shoulder-blade. Emma mistook this for a sound of impatience. "Look, we need to figure out a way to come at this guy that will be effective. Like convincing him I'm on his team or something." She said vaguely.

"And how do we do that?" Regina asked, masking her frustration.

"I don't know yet." Emma said and silence fell on the phone. "I'll come over tonight and we can discuss how best to do this."

"Whatever you think best, Sheriff." Was the brunette's gritted reply.

"And Mayor, you're going to have to be completely honest with me."

"Excuse me? I believe I told you all you needed to-"

"No, you didn't." Emma cut her off. A bite of impatience creeping into her own voice. "There are portions you are leaving out. I didn't press last night because I was still trying to process everything. But if you want me to take care of this as effectively as possible, I need to know _everything_ you know." Silence again, Emma brought the phone from her ear to make sure Regina was still on the line.

"Very well." The mayor replied with venom. "Come over at seven." She hung up and dropped the phone to the bed before bending over against the mattress and stifling a groan. God, her back was tender.

She opened her eyes and saw the offending book inches from her face. Sitting up with a speed that caused her muscles to scream in protest she pulled the book to her and opened it cautiously, ready to repel whatever blast had knocked her unconscious the night before. But nothing happened. She flipped to the page with the bookmark, still apprehensive at another blast, but again, no such thing occurred.

Bending over the book she saw her mother's flourishing handwriting. Cramped in the margins of the yellowed pages was a makeshift spell. One that Cora had obviously invented. Regina squinted at it until her eyes tired. The letters were familiar though written in another language. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and knew this was bad.

Taking the book in her arms she went to her office. The brunette slapped it down and sat down behind the chair. She then began writing down the spell, filling in the words she knew and writing the original of the words she didn't. After completion, she looked over the spell; her stomach sinking deeper into her body. This was really bad. Her eyes snapped up and she went to her own bookshelf, scanning for a certain green binding. Finding what she was looking for, she pulled the book down and resumed her seat, flipping through and translating the words of the ancient language.


	4. Chapter 4

With every word discovered, defined, and written Regina despaired a bit more. "Fuck." She finally muttered when she fully translated the hex. She realized what had happened and panic crept into her stomach. Immediately she stood and whipped around her desk to run into the room with her mother's possessions. She dropped to her knees frantically and ran her hands across the bindings, reading all the titles twice and then three times until she realized that as many books as her mother had on curses, hexes, and magical potions; she had none on cures or countercurses.

"Fuck." She mumbled again and brought her hands to her face. This was as bad as it could get. Bile threatened her throat and seared its way closer to her mouth. Regina choked it back and rose. In an uncharacteristic display of rage she lifted one leg and kicked the trunk causing it to topple over and divulge its contents to the room. Vials clattered and potion ingredients scattered as humiliation and anxiety flooded her stomach. She wanted to scream and rage at her own stupidity for opening that book; she should have known Cora would have taken out a magical life insurance policy.

Regina rose to her wobbly legs and staggered into her bedroom, shutting the door with more force than necessary. Sitting down on the plush bed, she pushed her hair out of her face. _What am I going to do? This can't happen._ She thought to herself. But then, as quickly as the despair had come over her, she pushed it away and stood, sliding her immaculate mask of control back into place. _I'll just have to take special care to not let my emotions get the better of me._ She resolved before striding to her bathroom; at least she could make herself presentable.

Emma knocked on the door, file clutched to her chest, shivering in the frigid air. Regina opened the door and ushered her inside; shutting the door and snapping out the cold. "Sheriff, a glass of whiskey?"

"Um, just one perhaps." Emma said, hoping it would warm her against the chill. She sat down on the couch and watched as Regina poured the snifter full a bit stiffly. The brunette handed her the glass and sat slowly on the couch before her; taking care not to lean against the back cushion. "Are you alright?" Emma asked curiously.

"Of course, dear." The mayor said dismissively. "Why?"

"Well, you sounded weird on the phone this morning; and now you're acting all stiff." Regina arched a brow as if to ask, _Aren't I always stiff?_ "Nevermind." Emma muttered, silently cursing the stubborn woman and kicking herself for giving a shit.

"Let's talk business shall we?"

"Right, so what weren't you telling me before?" Emma saw no reason to beat around the bush.

Regina closed her eyes and began at the beginning, faltering only a few times; casting a glance in Emma's direction with every pause. But she found no judgment on her face; no expression of any kind really. This both comforted and frustrated Regina. When she had finished, Emma sipped her whiskey thoughtfully.

"So I think we should play it like I want to bring you down too. Like he and I have an alliance." She mused and leaned back against the soft, expensive material of the sofa. "But we'll need proof."

"Proof?"

"I'll need leverage, something that I can use to prove to him that he can trust me." She explained. "Got any spellbooks?" she joked.

Regina went stiff once more. "I'm not Harry Potter, Miss Swan." She said icily. "And I wouldn't be relinquishing my spellbooks to you at any rate." Her posture was still stiff and as she crossed her ankles, she winced.

"Regina, are you sure you're ok-" Concern flashed in Emma's eyes once more; this angered the mayor more than anything.

"I am quite alright!" She seethed. "As crippled and broken as I must seem to your pure, unblemished soul, I do have the ability to take care of myself!" She rose from the sofa and the blonde leaned back in alarm.

Regina strode to the door and yanked it open. "Jesus, Regina, I was just asking-"

"Well, if your questions are finished, please exit my house."

"But what about convincing Mendel-?"

"I will give you something!" She hissed as Emma shifted through the door and back into the cold. "Good night, Miss Swan." She slammed the door.

"Sleep tight, bitch." Emma muttered angrily and turned on her heel with her hands in her pockets.

"Goddamn those Charmings!" Regina raged, pain forgotten. She strode upstairs and threw open her bedroom door. "As if I haven't paid enough penance!" she growled to the dark, crackling air of her room. "As if she has any right to ask anything of me, after what she has taken from me!" Her chest heaved as she stared at her own angry face in the window. Emma was cranking up her bug below and pulling quickly off the curb.

Suddenly, Regina began to feel weak. Her skin flushed and her knees buckled. She grabbed onto the solid cold of the window pane and pressed her head against it. Feeling the frigid surface against her already feverish skin. "No, no, no…" she groaned in dismay. She had been so careful all day to maintain her composure and that blonde had stumbled in and blown it all to hell. Another roll of rage surged through her, followed by another ache. Her mother's curse was working quickly.

She wobbled her way to her bed and stripped down to her underwear; she was sweating. Rolling around on the bed she clutched at the throbbing between her legs. "God, anything but this." She prayed irreverently. "Anything but this." She groaned again as unreleased pressure began to slowly consume her. It felt as if she were slowly melting from the inside out; like her organs were molten lava and her skin the blazing surface of the sun. She knew she was in for a sleepless night as the fever picked up and rolled across her body like waves of undulating fire.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma spent the better part of the day trying to get up with Regina. She finally reached her midmorning.

"Sheriff." Regina's voice quaked

_What is going on with this woman?_ She thought. "Mayor, I wanted to kindly remind you that you were going to give me something with which I can convince our friend that I'm on his side."

"Yes, yes," Regina muttered quietly. "I will see what I have and call you later." She said and hung up. She dropped the phone on her pillow and rolled back over onto her stomach. The small task of answering the call and speaking coherently had exhausted her wrecked body. The curse was running strong and Regina trembled in pain as her body throbbed incessantly. No attempts at releasing herself from the pressure had been successful. She had tried countercurses, she had tried physically touching herself; attempting to heal her feverish form. Nothing had worked. The brunette bit down on her pillow as tears of humiliation and frustration rolled down her cheeks.

She had expected her mother's curse to be strong, but nothing could have prepared Regina for the torturous pressure building inside her body. She had no idea how far it could go or how much her body could take. She seriously doubted that the curse would kill her; it was designed to humiliate and torture her until death would be preferable. The brunette knew that she would inevitably seek the help that her mother designed the curse to drive its victim to and a blush of fear and shame lit her already feverish cheeks even brighter.

Emma was pissed. The woman had never called back; furthermore, she had not answered any of her messages. Determined that she was not going to be left to handle Regina's mess on her own, she got in her bug and drove to the manor. The blonde parked the car on the street and took the steps two at a time with her long legs. She knocked on the door: no answer. She pounded loudly.

"Madam Mayor!" She yelled to the unyielding doorframe. "Open the door!" No answer still. Emma could feel her body positively glowing with fury at being strung along so foolishly. She could almost picture Regina's eyes, staring down at her from the window gloating and mocking the blonde. "Goddamn it, Regina!" She called. "Open the door!" When there was still no answer, she pulled out her phone and dialed the despicable woman's cell number.

Emma listened intently when she heard the phone ringing inside the house; Regina didn't go anywhere without her phone. _That is it!_ She growled in her mind. She leapt off the porch and circled the house to the back door. Green eyes flickered across the carved glass in the panes and she took off the scarf from her neck. Wrapping her hand in it, she punched through the glass. Careful to knock any loose pieces to the floor before she reached through and unlatched the door. The glass powdered under her boots as she entered the house and slammed the door behind her. "Regina!" she bellowed at the dark and silent gloom.

"Sheriff." Emma heard the muffled word from above her. She scrambled through the kitchen and bounded up the stairs to find a long hallway of many doors.

"Mayor?" She called a bit quieter now and confused as to which way to turn; there were doors everywhere and a sense of lonely darkness about the place. A creeping fear tickled her throat and caused the hairs on her neck to lift.

"Miss Swan." Emma turned toward the sound and bounded down the hallway, fully anxious now.

She opened the door to Regina's bedroom and halted when she saw the mayor. Emma immediately dropped her eyes to the ground, trying hard not to stare at the woman's almost nude form on top of the covers. "What the fuck is going on?" She growled at the floor.

"Cursed…" the woman choked out as she squirmed on the bed. "My mother's…curse."

"Your mother cursed you?" Emma asked, still talking to the floor. "Why are you…naked?"

"Can't explain…" Regina's eyes swam with agony and humiliation. "I n-n-need you… to help." She stuttered out, mortified at the words coming from her mouth. Regina turned her face away from the blonde still staring at her boots, trying to give Regina some dignity. The brunette hated her for being kind.

"Help you what?" Emma was confused, she risked a glance up at the woman curled into a ball and writhing in pain. She found her feet bringing her to the side of the bed and looking down on the crumpled form of the powerful mayor. "What is going on, Regina?" She somewhat whispered.

"Long story…explain later. Help me." She growled as convulsions shook her body.

"But how? How do I help?" She asked guarded. What she really wanted to ask was: _How do I know you're not trying to trick me?_

Regina seemed to understand this. "Look at me." She stammered and met the green eyes ones with a pained stare. Emma saw agony, torture, regret, and vulnerability. What she didn't see was guile or wickedness.

"What do I do?" Emma put one knee on the bed.

"Touch me." Regina gritted her teeth. Emma reeled back and the brunette shut her eyes tight. "I'll…explain…l-l-later." She shuddered as the pressure threatened her consciousness. "I have to…release." She sputtered and tears of hate stung her eyes.

"R-release?" Emma stuttered now. "Like…"

"Yes…"

"Can't you-"

"No…tried. Has to be…you."

"Why?" Emma cocked her head.

"For fuck's sake! I'll explain later!" The woman exploded in anger and hurt. "Help me." She whimpered and lashed on the bed.

Emma, caught up in the urgency, knelt on the bed and put a hand on Regina's thigh. The woman groaned and stilled somewhat. The blonde licked her lips nervously and tried not to look at the wanton woman's face. She looked down at the lacy underwear instead and pulled them down quickly before she lost her nerve. Regina shook in shame and anticipation.

Emma cupped her sex and the brunette bucked in pain. "Easy!" She shouted through gritted teeth.

"Sorry." Emma hurled back, her own hackles rising automatically; she was still confused at the shift in events. She slid her hand along the length of Regina's wet folds, allowing the brunette to adjust to the pressure. Regina bit back a whimper in her throat and moved her hips. "Don't make this harder." Emma gripped the woman's feverish hip with her other hand to still the frantic movements. She realized how small the mayor actually was; and how alluring she looked spread beneath her. Emma's mouth went dry as she coaxed apart the folds gently and glanced the swollen clit with her thumb.

Regina hissed and threw her head back. "Easy." She whispered. Her body was obviously way too sensitive. Emma followed her orders and gently rubbed the bud with the soft pad of her thumb. Regina put her own hand in her mouth and bit down, stifling a wail of torturous pleasure. She tried to block out the image of Emma looming over her or the gently, light, fluttering touches of her well-experienced hand.

The blonde sat back on her heels and continued the gentle movement of her fingers. Regina's body began to relax slightly. And then she came. The brunette flung her head back, chest heaving, toes curling, and blood trickling from her own hand where she had bitten down to keep from crying out her release. She collapsed back against the sheets and rested for a moment. Her body blissfully numb.

Emma sat in amazement, watching the spent woman's breath regulate and her body glisten with sweat. As the mayor began to come back around, the blonde unfolded her long legs and scrambled from the bed; hastily wiping her hand on the bedspread. Regina opened her eyes to see the sheriff rocking back and forth on her heels slightly with her hands in her pockets and a curtain of golden curls hiding her face. The brunette sat up and pulled the covers up around her.

"That will be all, Miss Swan." She dismissed.


	6. Chapter 6

"That will be all, Miss Swan." She dismissed.

Emma's head snapped up. "Oh, no. You're going to explain what the hell that was!" She shouted in anger and fear. "I've never seen anything like that-"

"No, I imagine you wouldn't have, would you?" The hint of a wicked smile playing about her lips. The blonde felt as though she had been insulted and knew the mayor was trying to run her off.

"I'm not leaving until I get answers." She crossed to the bed and stood menacingly over it.

Regina sighed, too tired to fight. "That was my mother's curse."

"Your mother did that to you? That's sick." She said.

"The curse wasn't meant for me." She said quietly and the way the dark eyes roamed her body, Emma knew exactly who the curse had been for.

"Then why are you…afflicted?"

Regina sighed again as if Emma was being insufferable. It was better to act cold then release the shame and humiliation she was feeling. "My mother cursed her possessions because she reasoned that should she be killed, you would come into possession of them. She designed the curse so that her mortal enemy would have need to be…sexually satisfied by her enemy. For example, if you had been the one to open that book," she gestured to the menacing black book on the sofa in the room, "you would become what I was, only finding release when I touched you."

Emma's knees nearly buckled, "But why-?" she began but Regina cut her off.

"My mother could not conceive a reality in which she was defeated and I wasn't. She believed she owned me; that our interests were aligned and that I wouldn't betray her. Therefore, if she were killed, so too would I have been defeated; either executed or locked away." She said, finding it somewhat liberating to share this burden of knowledge, even with Emma.

"But if the curse was meant for her mortal enemy-"

"Then it cursed the right person." Regina let these words sink in. "When I killed her, I fulfilled that role."

"But you didn't know-"

"Magic sees no distinction of intent. It does as it is designed to do. I became her mortal enemy and therefore was hit by the curse. You are my enemy and therefore I must…" She trailed off and closed her eyes before opening them once again and staring through Emma. "I must rely on you for help."

Emma stood stunned. She literally had no idea what to say. After a few moments of silence she finally wrapped her tongue around words. "So how often does this happen?"

"Hopefully never again. I plan on committing all my time to fixing this curse; to finding a cure before I can have another….attack." She said.

"But if you do…have another attack that is…"

"I will be forced to call upon the sheriff's services." She said snidely.

"Is there a trigger?"

"What?" Regina asked though she had heard the question. Emma's knowing eyes locked into hers.

"Is there something that sets this kind of thing off?"

"Yes." Regina looked out the window. "If I have angry or revengeful thoughts toward you."

"Fuck." Emma exhaled. She was tempted to laugh at this. _I'll never get anything done._ "The point being humiliation, right?"

"How astute of you." Regina answered.

"But you're working on a cure?" The brunette's lip curled in response. "Right, well good luck and…call me…if you need anything." Emma left the room blushing furiously.

Regina spent the better part of the next three days trying to keep her mind as clear as possible as she struggled through her mother's books and her own. She had had little to no contact with any of the townspeople, least of all Emma. Reasoning it best to stay as far away from her as possible. She looked up from her work and rubbed her tired eyes. Her stomach rumbled and she looked at her watch. Finding that she had scarcely eaten all day, she put down the notes on the top of the mahogany desk and rubbed her temples.

Pushing away from her desk, she went downstairs and made a quick sandwich. As she chewed the turkey slowly, a shiver ran through her body; turning to the thermostat, she narrowed her eyes. Why was it so cold in here? She strode over and placed her fingers on the button, punching it repetitively until she could hear the heat kicking on in the house. Suddenly, a draft hit the back of her neck and she whirled around to look for the source of the frigid air. Her eyes knit together confusedly before she noticed the ground glass in her kitchen, trekked from the door.

She observed the missing pane in the door and narrowed her dark eyes once more. Emma had knocked out the glass in her door to break into her house. She had vaguely wondered how the blonde had gotten in, but it had not crossed her mind that she would knock out the window. Anger flashed through her and she snarled before she could stop herself. _Who does she think she is?! Pushing herself into my home? The only place I'm allowed to find peace and Emma Swan stomps all over my privacy. _Suddenly her body heated up. "Oh, no!" she whispered.

Hurriedly, she waved a hand over the window and the glass leapt back into place. She fought to force her mind clear and her emotions out; but it was too late. The damage could not be undone. Frantically, she wobbled up the stairs and into her office. She sat down in her chair, taking a jagged breath at the jolt of solid wood against her heated center. She fought down the sensation and the pain by dragged the books to her; her eyes straining to eek out anything she had missed over the first glance.

After hours of sitting stiff and quaking, the first real convulsion ripped through her. "No!" she shouted at her traitorous body and forced her mind back to the work at hand. But it was for naught. She studied through the rest of the night and into the morning; her search availing nothing. Frustrated tears sprung to her eyes as she realized she had to call Emma. The thought of Emma's hands on her sent a combatant shiver of pleasure through her pain saturated body. The heating slowed and the throbbing decreased slightly. The brunette had just enough time to consider that this was interesting before it was back ten-fold.

Regina glanced desperately around for her phone and spotted it across the room on the sofa. "Damn." She muttered and tried to stand. But her legs would not support her weight, let alone carry her across the room. She waved a hand, attempting to summon the device to her but either because of the weakened state of her body or of her mind, her magic was able to do little more than cause the phone to tremble and flip over helplessly.

The brunette dropped to her knees and as her muscles screamed in agony, she crawled pitifully, clawing at the thick carpet and stopping repeatedly for breath and to clear her vision. Regina halted and rested her forehead on the sofa, reaching up her phone. She brought it down and readied to dial before she realized the bastard had died. "Damn!" she shouted again as tears overtook her. The outburst of anger exhausted her once more and she slumped to the ground. She knew she had to crawl back to reach the charging plug under her desk.

How the brunette managed to make it back to her desk, she would never know; it felt like it took hours. Finally, with trembling hands she plugged the phone it and collapsed beside it with pain radiating from the pressure in her body. Tears glazed her eyes as her vision dimmed. She squinted at the screen booting up. As soon as the dialer came up, she found Emma's number with difficulty due to the blindness overcoming her eyes and called.

"Sheriff Swan." The woman answered automatically.

"Sheriff…we have… a problem." Regina managed and the phone went silent. "Sheriff!?" she shouted in panic.

"I'm here, Regina." Emma said quietly. "I will be over in five minutes, just…hold on." She hung up and Regina cried in humiliation and self-loathing. She reached down to feel the sweat on her blouse; the fever was burning her up. She shrugged out of her jacket and unbuttoned the soaked silk of her shirt but was unwilling to get completely nude; hoping to hold on to some vestige of pride. The brunette reached down and stripped off her underwear from underneath the tight, pencil skirt; ashamed of her haste and her reliability on Emma but loath to allow the blonde the intimacy of undressing her. She laid back and waited for the woman to ride to her miserable rescue.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – Thanks for the reviews…I was kinda surprised at the positive feedback I received. I more or less began the story on a dare from one of my friends. I don't even know how I'm going to end it yet because it seems to be taking on a shape all its own. But just as with any disease, it has to get worse before it gets better ;)

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Emma pulled the car up to the curb at the manor and found the door of the house unlocked. She bolted up the stairs and into Regina's bedroom. No Regina. "Mayor?"

"Office." Came the reply and Emma bolted down the hallway toward the voice, as before. She swung through the door and saw Regina's smooth legs and high heels sticking out from behind the desk. She ran over to her and knelt. "Regina?" She said to the quaking woman.

"Worse." The brunette croaked out. "Blind." She whimpered and opened her eyes unseeingly.

"Why did you wait?" Emma growled in her throat and lifted her shivering body up into herself. Regina cried out when Emma's chest pressed against her own and caused friction on her taut nipples.

"Trying…to….c-c-cure."

Emma reached a hand into her skirt gently and massaged as before, but Regina shook her head "Too much!" She gasped.

"But I did this before." Emma stammered, her heart torn at the uncharacteristically wrecked state of the woman clinging to her shirt.

"Worse…gentle."

"I don't know how to me more gentle." She said in panic. Wanting to do anything to help.

"Figure it out!" Regina growled as she shook violently and her fingers curled into Emma's warm flesh; digging her fingernails into the firm skin of her biceps through her jacket.

Struck with sudden realization, Emma shucked her coat and lifted Regina with a small grunt. The woman actually was quite small. She set her gently on the desk and Regina cried out at the contact of the wood against her tender flesh. The blindness frightened her more than anything. She couldn't see what the blonde was doing although she felt the cold wood beneath her backside; she grabbed onto the edge of the desk as if it meant her life.

Emma knelt before her, spread her legs and licked up the inside of her thigh. Regina panicked. She couldn't see to push her away, couldn't see to run, not that her body would let her anyway. "No." Regina gasped. "Can't…" She grabbed Emma's hair and tried to drag her away. "Another way."

"Goddamn it, Regina!" Emma exploded and jerked her skirt up as the woman flinched. "If you have another idea, I'm dying to hear it." When Regina bit back a whimper, Emma continued to kiss and gently prime her thighs and outer folds. She was thankful to find that the mayor was extremely well groomed.

Her tongue gently ran the length of her crease and Regina bit down on her lip, hard. She clung to Emma's shoulders and wrapped her long, legs around her head; interlocking her heel-clad feet. If the blonde had not been worried about the mayor's safety, she would have found it all extremely erotic. As it was, she found she liked the taste of Regina's desperation.

"Are you ready for more?" she asked, clearing her throat to signal that it was a genuine question.

"I think so." Came the response and Emma tried not to be turned on. She parted the folds with her tongue and gently laved at the swollen pearl of flesh until the brunette's hands were tugging frantically at her curls.

"Too much?" Emma asked concerned at the urgency of the pulling.

"No, no, no." The brunette groaned in pain and need.

Emma gritted her teeth as she felt heat seep into her own jeans. She continued her tender administrations to the woman's center, licking around her entrance and then back to her clit so that she wouldn't overstimulate the turgid peak and cause Regina to rip the curls out of her head.

It wasn't until Regina's hips began to move slowly, methodically against her face that Emma realized the pressure was regulating. She slipped her tongue inside Regina and gloried in the sharp intake of breath the woman above her indulged.

"I'm ready, Miss Swan." She said with as much dignity as possible as her vision returned and the room came back into focus. Regina heard what she suspected to be a growl from the blonde and looked down to see green eyes peering up at her. For half a second, they locked gazes. Then Emma pulled her clit behind her lips and sucked and flicked it repetitiously. "_Oh!_" Regina shouted and came; squirting hot liquid into the blonde's awaiting mouth.

She pulled back in surprise as Regina collapsed backward on to the hard surface of the desk; wincing slightly as the cold wood hit her feverish skin. Emma watched as her body quivered in the aftermath of the orgasm. Knees aching and muscles trembling from her own arousal, she sat down in the mayor's chair and waited for the brunette to come back to her.

When she recovered, Regina found the sheriff sitting in her chair; staring at her. The brunette blushed and pulled her skirt down over her hips. She clutched her blouse about her almost bare chest and leveled a challenging glare at the blonde who just gazed at her.

"It seems you have saved me once again." She said snidely. The blonde stood abruptly and crowded her space.

"Next time, call me sooner." Regina started what was sure to be a very impressive diatribe but Emma pressed a finger to her red lips. "At least wait until tomorrow before you get worked up again. My knees are sore." She said and swept past her, out the door.

Emma got home that night and collapsed. She was exhausted from the day's events. Regina had wiped her out. She rolled over on her back on the bed and gazed up at the bare rafters, replaying the reel of the brunette's desperation. The blonde found that she rather liked that side of the mayor; she had not expected her to move in such a sensuous manner. Sitting up, she pulled her boots off and tossed them to the corner. Although, she shouldn't have been surprised, she supposed. Regina had seduced and manipulated her way to the top. _But this wasn't calculated._ She thought to herself, _She was desperate and demonstrating no ulterior motive. She simply _needed_ me. _

The blonde shook her head when she found herself smiling slightly. _That's sick_. Emma scolded herself and laid back down on her bed, resting her head on her hands. But she couldn't help but to envision Regina's hands in her hair and her hips pistoning into her face. Neither could she block out the image of lust in her eyes when they had locked gazes, or the way hot liquid had filled her mouth after the act was completed. She had never been more turned on; period. _What does that say about me?_ Emma asked herself before rolling over and falling to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days were blissfully quiet. Regina seemed to be dealing with the whole Don't-hate-Emma-thing pretty well. She had had very little contact with the blonde but decided she needed an update to the Mendel situation. She called Emma.

"Sheriff Swan."

"Sheriff."

"Regina? Is everything ok?" the brunette arched a brow at the sound of genuine concern in her tone.

"Yes, of course."

"Oh, you don't…need…me then?" Was Regina mistaken, or was there a note of disappointment in the blonde's voice? She pushed aside the thought.

"Not currently, Miss Swan. I have been behaving."

"Glad to hear it." Emma said, and snorted slightly. She had wanted to say, _I doubt it._ But thought that would be pushing it.

"I was hoping we could discuss our friend, Greg." Regina said casually.

"Sure, Dav-Jam-…Dad…." Emma faltered a bit. "is on patrol tonight, I can come by tonight if that suits you."

"It does."

"Great, see you later."

"Goodbye, Miss Swan."

Emma knocked on the door and looked down at the bottle of whiskey in her hand. Now she felt stupid for bringing it. The brunette opened the door and allowed her in; Emma went straight to their usual nook in the den. She turned and held out the whiskey.

"What's this?" Regina took it gently.

"It's a bottle I've had for a long time. It's Tennessee whiskey. I got it as a gift."

"And you want to drink it tonight?" the brunette was confused.

"No, I just wanted you to have it. I've drunk a great deal of your liquor and wanted to pay you back."

"That's not necessary-" Regina tried to hand it back but Emma wouldn't take it.

"I know, but it's just been traveling with me, never had a good reason to drink anything that expensive or classy."

"I can't take this-" Irritation almost tinged her voice. Almost.

"Yes, you can. It belongs here;" Emma gestured vaguely at the manor. "Not in some old trunk, stuffed away."

Regina wore an odd expression as she looked at the blonde. The sheriff was giving her a gift; a peace treaty. After coming to her rescue twice, Emma was acting noble and kind. Under any other circumstance this would piss Regina off because it made it harder for her to loathe the sheriff. But something about the earnest look in the blonde's green eyes made her bring the bottle to her chest and turn on her heel to her liquor cabinet.

She took down two snifters. "Well, let's drink then." She said in a voice that was not her own and poured the glasses full. She held out one to Emma and took the other for herself.

The two women sat, awkwardly but as Emma leaned in and began to fill Regina in about the situation with Mendel, they relaxed. The brunette dropped her heels to the floor and curled her feet up under her as Emma stretched her long legs before her, crossing her ankles. "So he took the bait?"

"Yep." Emma drank from her glass. "It was easier than I thought it would be; he wanted an ally…but…" she trailed off.

"But?" Regina prompted and watched the face of concentration the blonde was making.

"But something tells me that he already has one."

"An ally?"

"Yes."

"What makes you think that?"

"Remember "Her" that kept calling?"

"When he was in the hospital, yes I remember."

"Well, that's an odd label. You only don't use names in your phone if you don't want other people to know who they are."

"Right." Regina prompted, she could deduce as much herself but she knew Emma was chasing a rabbit here.

"Well, if he were just passing through a town of strangers, why would he care if they knew "Her's" name?"

"You think we know this person?" Regina flicked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and loosened the slick buttons of her coat and vest. Emma had difficulty ignoring the heady flash of skin that was exposed. It wasn't much; but it was enough to send her mind back to the moments spent knelt in front of the woman on her desk. "That we would recognize the name?"

The blonde wrenched her gaze back up to the woman's dark eyes. "Well, I doubt it is anyone originally from Storybrook…but maybe this "Her" planned on joining later and they didn't want to tip anyone off?" Emma questioned herself. "Does that sound far-fetched?"

"Sheriff, you live in a town of fairy-tale characters. Your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming and you're having a drink with the Evil Queen; far-fetched passes for normalcy here." Regina smiled darkly at her own joke.

"I don't see you that way." Emma said then looked down at her glass, hating herself for her rash comment. Regina remained silent. "I mean don't get me wrong, you and I definitely don't see eye to eye on a variety of things…like Henry, and murder, and magic, and dragons and-"

"I get the point, dear." Regina sighed and held up a hand at the stream of words.

"Right, but…I still see you as the mayor; Henry's…other…mother." She said haltingly and glanced up at the woman. Her face was a mask of expressionless marble; but her eyes shone brightly. "You're a total pain in the ass, but on some level, I get you." She shrugged, waiting for Regina to speak.

The brunette took a long pull on her whiskey and fought back the tears in her eyes. _Damn, how is it that this woman affects me so? _When she spoke, she did so quietly to hide the tremble in her voice. "Well, Miss Swan-"

"Emma, my name is Emma, Regina."

"Emma." She said softly. "I…" she began but found that she had no words to express the tearing inside her; she was conflicted between expressing gratitude, relief, and condescending chill. She tried to remain neutral. "I… appreciate your ability to remain subjective. There are those who would have me dead-"

"Pretty much everyone."

"Indeed, however, your willingness to…help me has not gone unnoticed on my part." She sighed and shut her eyes tightly. The words bubbled forth before she lost her nerve to speak them. "I know that the incidents we had this week must be rather unpleasant for you; they are agony for me. However, I also understand that you come to my aid though you don't have to. The curse would not kill me; it is crippling and humiliating and most likely the worst affliction I have ever suffered." She said bitingly, wishing she could slap her mother. "But it is not fatal. You understand this and yet…you help."

Emma watched Regina's face as she refused to look up at her. The slender finger found the rim of the glass once more and a haunting ring filled the room. "Well, I could just imagine if the shoe were on the other foot; if it were me having to ask you to help. Saying that it would be hard is an understatement. I just hope we can get this worked out and get your body…healthy again." She finished quietly. "Have you had any luck in finding what cures it? It is curable isn't it?"

Regina almost smiled at the uncertainty in the blonde's voice. "All curses can be broken; you should know that."

"Oh, right. Well, any luck in finding out specifically what does the trick?" Regina opened her mouth and quickly shut it. She looked away and down at the ground. "What? It doesn't involve sacrificing a goat or something does it?"

"No, of course not." The brunette said. "I haven't found the cure, but I have experienced an interesting phenomenon."

"You mean more than the actual cursed-state itself?" Emma's eyes widened, she couldn't fathom what breaking Cora's curse would entail.

"Well, before I called you, while the curse was beginning to…overtake me, I thought of…"

"Thought of…what?"

"I feared the phone call I eventually had to make and my memory forced upon me the replay of our last…encounter."

"Ah, I see." Emma's mind's at that moment most inconveniently recaptured the picture of Regina's body writhing beneath her. The blonde crossed her legs to tamp down the heat building there. "And?"

"And…it helped."

"Remembering the pain you were in last time helped?"

"Not exactly." Regina said quietly and it dawned on Emma.

"You mean, remembering the pleasure-"

Regina couldn't bear to hear the rest of the sentence; she cut across her. "It diminished the pressure for a few seconds; it allowed me to clear my mind and find my phone."

Emma sat back into the sofa, trying desperately not to fidget as moisture developed between her thighs. "But the pain came back."

"Obviously. I did call you, did I not?"

Emma ignored the quip and sat quietly for a moment. "God, I am sorry, Regina." She looked up at her and the brunette found understanding in her eyes.

"Excuse me?" she had not been expecting that.

"I'm sorry this is happening; it sucks. That's one hell of a curse your mother thought up." She sipped her whiskey.

"Yes, well it is highly inconvenient-"

"You're a hell of a lot stronger than I am." Emma mumbled.

Regina couldn't have been more surprised than if Emma jumped up, tore off her clothes and begged for a spanking. She shook her head as if she were coming out of water. "Well, Miss Swan. I'm glad you can acknowledge that." She said. "Hopefully, I will be able to control my instinct to hate you and we'll be able to live out the rest of our lives, free of intimacy with one another." A twisted smile played across her lips and Emma looked up; she smiled back.


	9. Chapter 9

"_You can't have him; he doesn't want you." Emma said as she hid Henry behind her back. "You will never redeem yourself; the damage has been done."_

_ "Give me my son!" Regina shouted and hurled a fireball at the blonde. But Emma laughed hollowly and waved a hand. The fireball fizzled out and fear set itself solidly in the brunette's stomach. She turned to her son. "Henry, please. I'm your mother. I love you."_

_ "You're not my Mom. You're the Evil Queen." He pointed a finger at her and then hid behind Emma once more._

_ "See, Your Majesty? He can't love you, you've done too much to hurt him."_

_ Tears streamed down Regina's face and she felt her hatred toward the blonde double. Emma leaned back her head and laughed as heat seared the brunette's stomach._

Regina gasped awake. She shook her head and looked about her room. The dream had been so vivid; she could still feel the familiar sensation of loathing for the blonde hanging on her flesh. Moisture appeared between her thighs and she groaned. "No!" Regina lay back in her bed. It wasn't fair! It had been a dream! She had no way of controlling those! How would she explain herself to Emma? After the gift of the whiskey and the kind words she gave her.

Regina resolved her mind that she would not, could not tell the blonde. She would self-medicate the only way she knew to lessen the curse and wait until it, hopefully, ran its course. She stripped off her nightclothes and prepared herself for the inevitable.

Emma had not heard from Regina in three days; it was unusual. She hoped that the woman had not had another…attack for more reason than one. The blonde considered her feelings on the subject; she hoped that the woman could eventually stop seeking revenge, but also she hoped that Regina wasn't suffering in such a manner as the one the curse inflicted. It was completely barbaric; the curse.

Knowing she couldn't just sit around and worry, she called. At nine o'clock that night, she called one last time; hoping that Regina had just been ignoring her and resolving to rush over if the woman didn't answer: it rang and rang and rang, finally switching to voicemail for the fifth time that day. Sighing, Emma turned the patrol car down the road toward the manor. She stopped the car and looked up to find all the lights out; undeterred she exited and hurried to the porch.

The door was unlocked as it was before. She entered, calling out. "Mayor?" There was no response. Emma was afraid. She searched every room downstairs, calling out all the time. There was still no answer. The blonde climbed the steps and went to the door of Regina's room. She could hear thrashing and poked her head inside. "Regina?" it was dark, but the moonlight illuminated the bare, feverish back of the incapacitated woman in the bed. She shook and quaked like she was freezing but sweat was glistening like a sheen on her body.

"Regina!" Emma said in alarm and went to her. She placed a hand on the brunette's feverish back and the woman cried out in pain, alarm, and fear. "Regina it's me." She said and rolled her over to stare down at her blinded eyes. She waved a hand frantically in front of her eyes but the woman didn't flinch; she mouthed words and stammered. Emma placed her hands on the woman's quacking shoulders and Regina, recognizing the touch, relaxed a tiny amount.

"Sheriff?" She sputtered. "Can't see, c-c-can't hear."

"Why didn't you call?" She shouted into her face but knew it was worthless because Regina's body was too far gone. "Damn!" Emma shouted in fear and frustration as tears leaked out of the brunette's useless, closed eyes. "I'll be right back." She squeezed the suffering woman's hand and went into the bathroom. She could hear Regina calling for her.

"Sherrif Swan!" Her panicked voice tugged at Emma's heart as she gathered a basin and washcloth. She sat back down on Regina's bed and rolled her over gently; onto her stomach. The blonde pulled the convers down to expose all of her feverish, sweaty flesh. She dipped the washcloth in water, wrung it out and applied it to her shoulders.

Regina hissed in surprise and relief as the cool water nearly sizzled on her skin. She moaned and tears of gratitude stung her eyes. "More." She commanded and Emma wiped her down from her shoulders to the middle of her back and then down, over the sloping curve of her perfectly proportioned ass. The fever was abating somewhat and the brunette's convulsions lessened. She shook her head and called out to Emma. "Sheriff?"

"Yes." The blonde said automatically.

"I can hear you now." Regina surprised her by saying.

"Good." Was all Emma could say. All the angry remarks and scathing questions evaporated in her mind. She didn't have the heart to berate the vulnerable woman for being stubborn. "Why didn't you call, Regina?" She asked quietly as the rag traveled down her thighs to her calves. "Why wouldn't you let me help you?"

"I felt…guilty." Regina choked out, both in pain and surprise at her own words. She didn't know why it mattered that the blonde knew that she had had no control over the trigger this time. Regina flinched as the cloth raked across the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

"I told you not to worry about it-"

"But I was being good!" Regina burst out rashly as a series of tremors swept across her body. Her desperate state crumbled her defenses and left her vulnerable and helpless beneath the cool rag her enemy pressed to her skin. Under any other circumstances, Regina would have never admitted defeat; would have never submitted to the guilt by explaining her actions. But the pain and torture that she had endured over the past few days had her weak and desperately seeking reassurance from the blonde. Emma wrung out the cloth and pressed it between her shoulder blades, fighting the fever.

"Ok," she soothed the woman. "Roll over now." She instructed but Regina wouldn't budge. "This is no time to be modest." Emma flipped her over fairly easily and proceeded to caress her throat gently with the cool water. Regina shut her eyes and shivered as the blonde stroked down between her breasts and caressed under them with the cool cloth. Emma knew Regina's body was much too sensitive for getting anywhere too near her nipples at the moment. It was important that she cooled her body down slowly before making her climax; to ensure that she was comfortable.

As the blonde continued her patient cool-down of Regina's body, the former began to regain some control. She was still blind but she reached a hand up and wiped the tears from her own eyes. "I had a dream." She blurted out and then blushed.

"Ok." Emma said slowly and mopped off her face, dampening the dark hair and turning it darker still.

"That's why I'm like this. I hated you in my dream."

It was not lost on the blonde that Regina used the past tense and referred to a nonexistent place and time. "Did I deserve it?"

Regina almost smiled but shuddered as a wave of agony washed over her. She clutched Emma's forearm, digging into it with her nails until the pain subsided somewhat and she relinquished her grip. "Yes, you did." She said, "You took Henry."

"I don't blame you for waking up like this."

"But you don't think…" Regina trailed off as the cool cloth stroked down to her hips and brushed across the small patch of well-kempt hair there. The pain in her body made her stumble and stammer over her vulnerable question. "You don't think…"

"What?" Emma asked curiously as she allowed herself to watch Regina's face.

"That I deserve it?"

"Nobody deserves this, Regina." Emma said without hesitation. This soothed the nearly delirious woman a bit and Emma continued her light touches and cooling wash. As Regina's skin lost its raging fever, her sight returned and she squinted up at Emma.

"Miss Swan, you're sweating." She noticed the sheen on her forehead.

"Well, the heat was rolling off of you in waves; you were baking like an oven." She shrugged out of her jacked and sweater to reveal her usual plain tank top.

The brunette's eyes went immediately to the full cleavage hanging over her as Emma leaned over to wipe down her thighs and shins. When she looked back up, she caught Regina staring. The dark woman licked her lips; unaware that Emma had caught her. The blonde fought back a smile; she leaned down in Regina's face and stared at her hard; breaking her line of sight to her breasts. The brunette realized she had been caught and blushed.

"Enjoying the view?" Emma asked as she wrung out the rag and hung it over the side of the basin.

"I'm sorry…" Regina looked away. "I don't know what is going on with my body."

Emma replaced the cloth with her hand and she began stroking up and down the mayors torso, lingering under the swell of her breasts. The brunette's breathing deepened and sounded as a normally aroused woman's breathing should. "Good to know that your eyesight is fully back." She grinned and cupped a breast.

"You need to go slow." Regina warned. "I'm still in too much pain for you to be aggressive."

"I have every intention of taking it slow." Emma said and Regina shuddered, though not from the curse this time. "We can take as many water breaks as is necessary."

"If I didn't know any better, Miss Swan, I would say you were enjoying this."

Emma joined her on the bed; stretching her long form out beside the cursed woman. She leaned down to prop her head up with her left hand and caress Regina with the other. The blonde stroked up her neck and jawline; glancing over those red, red lips. "Oh, no. I find it terribly torturous." Emma's green eyes pinned her on the bed. "It's killing me to not get this over with."

The mayor couldn't tell if she were joking or not. She just knew she couldn't tear her eyes away from that green sea. Emma's fingers glanced her nipple and she bucked up in pleasure. She was relieved that pain did not accompany the sensation and arched off the bed at the relief she experienced.

"Does that hurt?"

"No." She whispered and looked away from Emma's eyes to watch her fingers rolling the taut peak back and forth expertly. She was reminded of the skills the blonde employed during their last encounter. "You have done this before." It wasn't a question.

"Once or twice." Emma answered and leaned in to take the other nipple in her mouth. Regina hissed in pleasure and arched up; she couldn't stop her body from responding. It was humiliating…and liberating. "Have you?"

"I don't think that's your-" but she gasped when Emma flicked her nipple gently with her tongue and pain tinged the ecstasy pleasurably. She was reminded just how sensitive her body still was; and how much at the mercy of Emma she was. "No." Regina stuttered out. "I haven't."

Emma stifled the urge to ask her how she liked it thus far, instead her hand made its way to her heated folds. But Regina stopped her, "No…too much. I'm still…hurting."

"My mouth-" Emma began but Regina shook her head.

"I can barely handle the blood in my veins. Not yet." She shook her head.

"What can I do? How can we relax you?" Emma spoke more to herself than anyone. She looked about the room as if she were going to find a book entitled _Sexual Frustration Curses for Dummies_. But no such literature presented itself. Then she remembered what Regina had said several nights before. "Wait, there is something that helps, remember?" Regina wouldn't answer, but lay under her hands squirming but silent. "You said when you were thinking about the first time-" Emma winced at her choice of words but pressed on. "That it fought it."

"But that doesn't make any sense, really." Regina said.

"But it does!" Emma said excitedly, understanding the magic at long last. "You were turned on! You were experiencing actual arousal and it fought whatever this is; this fake stuff."

"It's easy for you to describe it as fake." Regina mumbled.

"Regina, don't you get it? If you allow yourself to become legitimately turned on, your real hormones and biological response fight the curse."

"Well?" Regina looked up at her with frustration. "If you're so sure, then go ahead, turn me on." She growled.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- Thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad my work has been so well received. I'm trying to pace myself in posting the new chapters because I still really have no idea where these two are gonna end up after the hex is broken…any ideas or critiques? Bring them on ;)

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Emma looked down at her a moment and hesitated. But when she saw the faintest hint of a smirk on the mayor's lips, she stripped. Regina watched in amazement as Emma leapt up and ripped her shirt over her head before turning to shuck her jeans. The brunette had to admit, an almost nude Emma with only black undies on was certainly arousing. She felt the heat and sensitivity subsiding in her body and looked down in surprise.

"It's working isn't it?" Emma joined her on the bed and straddled her. Regina wouldn't look at her; she turned her head away. But the blonde trapped her jaw in her hand and drug it back to face her. "I can see it in your eyes." She leaned down and rubbed her lips along Regina's. The brunette sighed into her and opened her mouth; willing Emma to plunder with her tongue.

Emma detected a softening in the brunette under her and chocked it up to her extreme hour of need. Regardless of the reason, Regina Mills was now spread out beneath her; begging for attention. Emma found that she would be damned if she didn't give the woman what she was asking for. She sank her mouth into Regina's painted red lips. The woman opened for her willingly, calling her down into the dark swirling magic of her moist mouth. Emma broke the kiss and looked down at the woman panting beneath her.

She had not expected the kiss to be filled with such _longing_. Desire she had expected, frustration and desperation she had been prepared for. Even lust would have been an acceptable emotion; but the longing and the need and the hunger she had found somewhat unsettled her. Regina looked up at her, lips red from Emma's mouth and chest heaving in passion. "Is there a problem?"

"I just…wasn't…" She began and looked down at the woman who held a small, vulnerable amount of self-doubt in her eyes.

"Do you wish to stop?" Regina asked with pursed lips. Then it hit Emma; the mayor thought that her kisses had been unsatisfactory to the blonde.

Emma laughed and the brunette looked highly affronted until she spoke. "I have just never been kissed like that." She grinned sheepishly down at the woman below her; still incapable of a great deal of movement.

"Did you expect me to be inexperienced? To have no knowledge or tutelage in lovemaking?"

"Regina, you can't teach the way you kiss." The blonde caught her lips with her own once more before she could protest and the brunette instantly melted into the sensation.

"Miss Swan, I think I am ready."

"Ready?" The blonde murmured as she traveled along her neck and jawline; nibbling as she went and relishing the sensation of Regina squirming beneath her. "Are you sure?" She cupped the woman's creamy breast and flicked at her nipple with her thumb. The brunette gasped and bucked hard in a combination of pain and pleasure. "Because you still seem somewhat sensitive. Am I not affecting you strongly enough? Is there something else you want me to try?"

Regina was caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, she could admit that the infuriating woman was affecting her more strongly than anyone ever had, or she could deny it and have Emma torture her even more. The dark eyes glazed over in anticipation of what Emma's hands and mouth could do to her. "I…" she began but her voice was stifled when Emma flicked her nipple once again. She hissed quietly and lifter her hands to rake down Emma's thighs.

"I must be doing a fair job; as you have some control of your body now."

_That depends on how you define control_, Regina thought to herself. "Yes, Miss Swan. You have helped me greatly. I would further appreciate it if you would finish the task at hand."

"The task at hand?" Emma chuckled at the choice of words and slipped her body down the nude woman, causing an involuntary shudder of need. "Oh, right. I have a job to do." She slipped down to breath cool waves of breath on Regina's hot, tortured center.

"No, not your mouth-"

"You seemed to enjoy it last time."

"Last time anything else was too much; use your hand."

"I think my mouth would be more efficient." Emma argued mildly. "It is, after all the most gentle." She licked the woman's folds seductively but Regina cried out in pain. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry Regina, you said you were ready and I-" Emma rose up to kiss her neck, chest and face. Finally settling on her lips tenderly. "I got carried away."

"Understandably." Quipped the woman beneath her. "Why don't you attend to your own needs and perhaps by that time, I will have gained enough balance to end this torturous night."

"My needs?" Emma asked. Regina arched a brow and directed her pointed gaze to the slick residue on her stomach; left by the friction of Emma's center on her abs. "Oh, I'm more worried about you right now." She said but her breath hitched when Regina slipped a thigh between her legs.

"No, dear, I insist." She said and looked up at her. "It will give me time to regain myself." She slid her leg seductively against Emma's heat and it came away wet.

"Anything to help." Emma muttered and stripped off her remaining clothing. Regina raised her leg up to connect with Emma and the blonde let out a low moan.

"My dear, Sheriff. You seem to have lost control yourself." Regina quipped and smiled up at her as she felt the blonde rubbing her slick folds along her flesh. "Here, let _me_ help _you_." The brunette reached up and took the full, jostling globes above her in her hands. She cupped and molded and flicked Emma's nipples relentlessly until the younger woman was gasping and quaking. Regina watched in awe as Emma came; bucking against her thigh and tossing back her curls. The only coherent thought that the brunette was capable of making at the time was that Emma Swan was the most magnificent creature she had ever laid eyes on. "Emma." She breathed quietly.

But the blonde heard her. She pitched forward and covered Regina's mouth with her own, allowing her to feel the last remnants of the climax washing through her. "Fuck." Emma finally said. "Are you sure you've never done this before?" She pulled away and nestled between Regina's thighs.

"I would have remembered, dear." She took a stab at her old bravado and almost managed it. Her own hormones were combating the curse admirably; but she still needed release and only Emma could give her that. "Now, Miss Swan, if you would be so kind…"

"Oh, right." Emma licked her lips and lowered her mouth to Regina's folds. The brunette stiffened but the sheriff's hands soothed her thighs and pried them further apart. "Relax."

"I have never allowed-" Her breathing became shallow and Emma's eyes snapped to her face.

"You've never allowed anyone down here?"

"Not like this." She panted.

"That's a damn shame."

"I never missed it."

"Not for you, woman," Emma hissed and kissed the swollen bud gently; gauging the intake of breath for pain, hearing none, she continued. "For your lovers."

"Wh-wha-what?" Whatever Regina had been expecting her to say, it wasn't that.

"You're delicious." Emma mumbled to herself and tickled her clit delicately. "Does that hurt?"

"No."

"Do you like it?" came the next question and Regina bit down on her lip. She looked down to where Emma's eyes peered up at her from between her thighs and found it to be an honest question.

"Yes, Miss Swan, that will do nicely." She said, attempting disdain and failing miserably. "Just continue." A note of pleading crept into her voice.

_As if I could stop._ Emma scoffed to herself as she licked and rolled the bud in her mouth. The brunette writhed in pleasure rather than pain and Emma knew that she was close to the edge. Reaching up, she brought a finger to press into the woman's heat.

"Miss Swan-"

"My name," Emma slid in a second finger and began to pump slowly while still pleasuring her clit with her tongue. "Is Emma." She pumped harder and the brunette cried out, clutching at the blonde's shoulders in surprise and need. "Is that ok?"

"Oh, yes." She moaned and moved her hips to accommodate the woman's magic hands and mouth. "Just don't stop. I am close."

This caused a feral snarl from the blonde between her legs as she redoubled her efforts and was rewarded with Regina's fingernails breaking the skin on her shoulders. As she sensed the climax, Emma rose up to meet the dark gaze of the woman under her. The fingers of her right hand continued to pump as she drove the heel of her palm into the bundle of nerves between her lover's thighs. Regina ground her heat into Emma's hand frantically.

The blonde looked deep into her eyes as she touched her and Regina looked away but Emma caught her chin in her hand and forced it back. "Look at me." She whispered and the brunette leveled a dark, defiant stare at her lover.

Suddenly, the orgasm overcame her. Regina bucked up wildly and clamped her folds down around Emma's fingers. She could not tear her gaze away from the green eyes above her. "Fuck." She gasped and a smile curled on Emma's lips to hear the mayor say such naughty words. But her next word left the blonde breathless. "Emma." The woman breathed and collapsed; spent and rightfully exhausted.

Without hesitation, the blonde pulled the covers up around both of them and tucked the tired woman into her arms. She didn't see Regina as a big cuddler, but felt that anyone would want be held after what she had been through. Her assumption was correct. A tiny smiled formed on the blonde's lips as the mayor curled into her, sighed, and fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Regina awoke softly, curled against the blonde as she slept; her bare thigh riding over Emma's equally naked waist. For a moment she gazed at the sleeping blonde and reveled in the feel of her strong breathing and fluttering eyelashes. What had happened last night? An errant curl lay across the woman's face and tickled her nose; Regina reached up and brushed it gently back into place. Sighing and pushing her feelings to be sifted through for another time, she made a move to rise. But the blonde mumbled and tightened the arm Regina hadn't realized was around her. She finally got away from her; rolling softly from the bed and wrapping her silk robe about her. She grabbed her slippers in hand and tip-toed out of the room, cracking the door just slightly and looking back at the rumpled state of her enemy in her bed. Regina allowed herself a small smile before turning and going to the kitchen.

Emma's phone rang and jolted her out of a dreamless sleep. She wiped her eyes and sat up looking for it. It had been tossed aside in her jacket pocket the night before and she stood to go retrieve it. "Sheriff Swan."

"Emma." Snow's voice came over the line and the blonde felt immediately guilty. "You didn't come home this morning, I was worried."

"I'm sorry, I should have called." She said looking at the pool of sunlight at her feet coming in through the high windows of Regina's bedroom. "I was with the mayor discussing the Mendel situation and when I went back out to my car, it wouldn't start." She lied, feeling another ripple of guilt. "So I slept over."

There was silence on the line before her mother said in a strained voice. "You had a sleep-over with the Evil Queen?"

"Yes, I suppose I did." She said wondrously. "I didn't want to call because it was too late and I had loaned my good jumper cables to Leroy. So Regina offered her guest bed and I accepted."

"Regina could have used her magic to-"

"She hasn't used magic in weeks; for Henry. How was I to ask her to break that?" Emma asked her mother. "I'll be home and give you a full report on the process of taking care of our friend Greg. I may need your help anyway." Snow agreed and they hung up.

Emma could smell coffee. She got dressed at break-neck speed and hurried downstairs to find Regina setting out two coffee cups. She entered the room and leaned against the door frame to watch the way the silk robe flowed around her. Emma wondered if she had anything on under it. As she reached over her head for the sugar, the robe bunched up at her waist and then slid back over her ass and thighs; Emma decided she would put her money on the fact that the mayor had nothing but her birthday suit under the robe. Pushing herself away from the door, she entered the kitchen and leaned her elbows on the counter.

Regina turned. "Ah, Miss Swan, I made coffee."

"It smells delicious." She said and took the offered cup.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a time until Regina cleared her throat. "Thankfully, I have a few ideas about how to stop the curse."

"You do?"

"Yes, seeing as to how we…fought it last night…" she faltered, trying to find a neutral way to describe the events of the previous night. "It has made me consider other curses that I have seen that were cured by fighting it with natural stimuli."

"Great. Maybe we can get this…under control then." Emma sipped her still scalding coffee to justify the silence between them. The sun sparkled off the granite countertop as the two women drank their coffee; both caught in their own musings.

"Well, I need to get in the shower." Regina said, trying to give the cue to Emma that it was time for her to leave. "You should get to work before anyone misses you."

"I've already talked to Mary-Margaret-"

"Snow, dear."

"Right. She was worried I didn't come home last night."

"What did you tell her?"

"That we made passionate, chaotic love until the sun came up." Came the deadpan reply; Regina narrowed her eyes on the blonde's playful face.

"I'm surprised there's not a mob out there right now." She commented dryly, going along with the joke.

"Why a mob?"

"Oh, I think Snow and James would find it heartbreaking to know that I have corrupted their daughter."

"You give yourself too much credit, Mayor. I believe I have corrupted you." She stood and leveled an appreciative gaze at Regina's slipping neckline. The brunette resisted the urge to clasp it to her dramatically. But she wouldn't allow Emma the satisfaction of seeing her sweat; she already had seen her too vulnerable.

The blonde made her way around the counter, slowly advancing on the shorter woman who stood rooted to the spot. "Miss Swan." She said in attempt to warn her of her place. But Emma just chuckled.

"You called me by my name last night."

Fire danced up Regina's back and torso; not the intense arousal of the curse, but a natural charge of attraction. "Last night, I was vulnerable." She said vaguely. Emma was standing too close, but they were not touching.

"Right." Emma said quietly and Regina met her intense, green gaze. "If you feel another attack coming on, you call me immediately. I do not want to find you like I did last night."

"I'm sure that was inconvenient-"

But Emma waved a hand. "I'm not talking about that. I was truly worried last night. You were deaf and blind and so feverish I thought you had killed half your brain cells." She put her hands on the brunette's shoulders and leaned down so that they were eyelevel. "Call me as soon as you feel it coming on; or even if you've just been particularly bitchy today." Regina remained silent and stiff, looking at the woman before her. Emma sighed. "Stubborn woman." She remarked and turned on her heel to leave.

Regina had finally found it. A cure to her ailment. However, she was less than thrilled about the prospect of informing Emma. It was sure to be embarrassing and humiliating to say the least. However, she had had a sneaking suspicion that the cure would be something of the nature that she had found. Pushing back from the desk in her manor, she looked out the window at the street to watch the few cars go by.

Her mind went back to that morning; when she had allowed herself to be held by Emma, even if just for a moment. She had felt safe and secure and wanted and all those other dangerous emotions welling inside her. She remembered the way Emma had looked and sounded over her last night and the way her center rode her thigh. Shivers of delight jumped up her spin and sent radiating sensations through her body. She was surprised at how sharply they contrasted to the sickening, torturous spasms that had plagued her the past week.

Regina watched as the first few flecks of rain came down and splattered against the window of her study. She knew that she needed to do what she must to enact the cure and put a stop to the cruel, humiliating curse; however, the cure itself would be somewhat…embarrassing. Another image of Emma's hands on her flesh flashed through her mind and her lip curled slightly. Perhaps, the actual action wouldn't be embarrassing; but explaining it all to the blonde…would be. Sighing, she returned to her desk and picked up the phone.

"Sheriff Swan."

"Miss Swan."

"Regina." The blonde said quietly and the mayor was struck with how her voice had softened. "Is everything ok?"

"Quite. I wanted to inform you that I have found a cure."

"Great!" Emma said confidently. "What is it?"

"It's of a rather sensitive nature; I would rather discuss it in person."

"Ok, well I'm on patrol tonight; I can come over tomorrow night when I get off work. But if you need me before then, I can make it happen."

Regina considered that the blonde was doing everything she could to make sure that she, Regina, was comfortable. The brunette stifled a sigh. "No, Miss Swan, tomorrow night sounds good. I have many things to catch up on here." She said.

"Ok, if you're sure."

"I am."

"Well, alright. I'll come over and we can discuss Mendel and your…problem."

"Very good, goodbye Miss Swan."

"Bye."


	12. Chapter 12

Regina spent the next day and a half as busy as possible. She cleaned out her mother's things slowly and cautiously. But it seemed that Cora had decided jinxing one item would suffice because the brunette did not come across any more hexes. She tossed out all of her mother's expensive clothing but added her spell books to her own collection; Regina couldn't justify tossing away knowledge, even if she never intended to use it.

She scoured the house from top to bottom, relishing in the feel of using elbow grease to clean her dark home. She brought in fresh flowers and gathered a basket of apples to act as her centerpiece; her mouth twitched at the prospect of seeing Emma's face when she noticed the arrangement of fruit. She immediately straightened the line of her full lips. The brunette had found that she had been thinking of Emma a great deal over the past day or so; she found herself doing things she knew the blonde would notice or enjoy.

Regina chastised herself for her silliness. It was not becoming of a queen to have a school girl crush on the woman that was her downfall. But images of their time in her bed and on her desk flashed to her and chills emanated from her body. Regina found that she was both terrified and satisfied in the way her body reacted to the blonde. It scared her beyond measure that someone could have this much control over her….but on some level it felt…normal. And normal was something that Regina had not felt in a very long time; even before Daniel.

She shook the pesky thoughts from her head checked her watch. The blonde would be there in an hour and a half. Regina turned and looked over her spotless house and smiled in satisfaction; she _so_ loved when things were orderly. With her confidence at an all-time high, she went to jump in the shower and get ready.

Emma got off work early that day and spent an hour throwing baseball with Henry. He was interested in playing for the middle school team in a year and wanted help. Emma was enlisted. They talked and goofed and babbled at each other with ease. Henry's freeze-Emma-out tactic lessened and disappeared when they had the heart-to-heart on the steps of her parent's apartment. They had been thick as thieves since.

Neal and his fiancé pulled up to the park and got out. Emma watched as Henry turned and waved. Neal jogged over, scooped him up and swung him around. "Hey, buddy!" he said.

"Hey, Dad." Henry found his feet. "Can you throw ball?"

Neal looked over his shoulder to Tamara who waved a hand and smiled. Emma tossed him the glove and stepped over to Henry. "I have to go, kid. Gotta meet your mother."

Henry looked up at Neal, who took the hint and backed away to go talk to his fiancé and thank her for allowing him time with his son. "You two have been spending a lot of time together." He said quietly and looked up at her; daring her to lie to him.

"We have, Regina and I have been working on figuring out what August was trying to tell me before the Blue Fairy changed him back."

"That's not all."

"No, kid." Emma sighed and knelt before him. "That's not all, and I can't tell you because it would put you in danger. "

He rolled his eyes, "All of you, trying to protect me-"

"We're trying to protect you because you are important to us. Sometimes it's better for you to be unhappy than in danger." Henry bit his lip. "And don't pout at me. Just trust that what Regina and I are working on will be made known to you eventually, when it is necessary for you to know. But until then, do not tell anyone."

"Even Dad? Are you asking me to lie?"

Emma fought the urge to sigh. Henry's ability to only see black and white was what made him so beautiful…as well as frustrating. "No. If he says, 'Hey, Henry. Why are your Mom and Regina hanging out all the time?' Then you may tell him that we are trying to figure out how to keep Storybrook safe from outsiders; because Henry, that is most of what we are doing." Innocence shined in her eyes and Henry believed her.

"Ok, I trust you…" he said and then looked up at her with curiosity. "Do you like working with my Mom? I mean is she nice to work with?"

_This kid asks too many questions_. Emma thought to herself not for the first time. "Your Mom is very smart; she knows things that I don't and she works with me when we're trying to figure things out. She's a very good teammate."

He looked up at her; "But you hate her."

"Hate's a strong word, kid."

"Doesn't she hate you?"

Emma sighed. "Henry, relationships like the one your mother and I have are…." She searched for the right kid-friendly word as "fucked up" was not an optioned phrase.

"Complicated?" he offered.

_You have no idea._ "Right, complicated and messy and it's hard for us to forget the things the other has done to us. But we have a common goal; keeping Storybrook safe, keeping you safe. This makes us a good team."

"And after, will you go back to fighting?"

She watched his face carefully. "Do you want us to?"

"No, it's hard to watch you two trying to kill one another for real…but it would be totally weird if you were like, real nice to each other."

Emma laughed and ruffled his hair. "Well, I promise that we will never be _super_ nice to each other."

"Deal." He said. "I'll see you later tonight?"

"Hopefully. But if it's too late I may stay as Regina's guest again."

"Sounds cool." He shrugged his tiny shoulders and then looked over his mother's head to smile.

"Ready Henry? Mind if Tamara joins?"

"Sure, I'd like to know her better." He smiled, ever accommodating and curious.

Emma got to Regina's house earlier than she had expected and knocked. No answer. Emma tried the knob and found it unlocked. _Damn woman, anyone could just walk in_, she thought before she did just that.

"Regina?" Still no answer. Freaking out a bit, concerned that the brunette had had another attack of lust, she went bolting up to her bedroom. She burst through the door and turned her head to hear water running in the bathroom. "Regina!?" she called.

"Miss Swan?" the brunette called back. She was in the middle of rinsing the soap from her body when she heard Emma banging on the door. "Miss Swan! I am in the shower!"

"I don't believe you! Open the door."

"I will do no such thing!" she yelled, knowing that she had left her clothing on the bed and nothing but a short towel hung on the hook in the bathroom.

"How do I know you're not on the floor in pain?" Emma's heart leapt up in concern at the image of Regina on the tile floor, shaking in agony.

"Go away!" Regina shouted then gasped when she heard a crunch. "Don't you dare-!"

But with another crash, Emma was through the door. Regina peeked her soaked head out from behind the very sheer bath curtain. "Satisfied now?" she asked with an arched brow, attempting to fight her anger. "Unless you want me to have an…attack, you better get out." Her voice was still even and Emma was impressed at the woman's ability to control herself.

"Uh, right…I'll go now."

"You do that."

"Sorry." Emma mumbled.

"Help yourself to my liquor cabinet." Regina dismissed as Emma backed away and tried unsuccessfully to close the shattered bathroom door.

"Sorry." She muttered again and backed out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Forty-five minutes later, the blonde heard Regina's heels clicking on the stairs. _Really, _she thought, _heels? She's not going to be seeing anybody but me and she still wears heels?_ The woman's actions sometimes baffled Emma. But she caught sight of the brunette's heel clad feet and stockinged legs and was immediately sorry she complained.

The rest of Regina's body came into view and Emma's mouth went dry. Her pencil skirt was somewhat shorter than usual and the emerald blouse she wore was cut low. She topped it all with a slate-gray jacket and the younger woman found that she very much liked the sexy-librarian look on her companion. It also made her realize her own less-than-glamorous state. She looked down at her dark skinny jeans and boots before tugging at her tight, white, v-neck tee. Top it all with her black, leather jacket and she knew she looked like a rebellious teen. _Damn, Regina looks all sophisticated and shit and I look like I could be smoking stolen cigarettes in a dark alley somewhere, _she thought to herself irritably.

Regina sat across from her on her normal perch and looked at the glass in Emma's hand. "Whiskey?"

"No, actually, I had a hankering for your apple cider." Emma admitted. "You were right about it."

"How so?"

"When we first met, you asked me if I wanted some of the best apple cider I'd ever tasted, remember."

"I do, actually." The brunette smiled as the memory rolled over her; how far they had come.

"Right, seems like forever ago."

"It does. Back then, my biggest worry was you taking Henry from me. Now my biggest worry is what Mendel will do to all of us." She mused.

"Right, about that," Emma leaned forward. "I'm in good with him now and he definitely has an accomplice; but I don't want to ask him and tip him off."

"Yes, this must be a delicate process." Regina said quietly and traced her lips absently.

Emma wondered briefly if she was, in fact, still talking about Mendel. "Right, so I think I should mention about, say, someone else in town that has come in…like Tamara, and see what he theoretically thinks about enlisting her."

"So you think your baby-daddy's fiancé is the secret ally?" Regina looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"Yes, she came to town around the same time, she's a 'her', and she acts weird around me."

"It couldn't just be that she knows that you carried her fiancé's child for nine months, dear?"

"Oh," she twisted her mouth down in thought. "I guess that could be it…but there's something more shady about it than that."

"Perhaps you dislike her because she is with Neal." Regina stood to keep from fidgeting and went to pour a glass of whiskey.

Emma narrowed her eyes at the mayor's back and then traveled down her ass and thighs. "Nope, that ship sailed and I broke the bottle on its hull." She said and watched as the mayor dropped the top of the decanter. She bent over to retrieve it and the blonde clutched her snifter very tightly as she noticed the absence of an underwear line across her shapely backside in the tight skirt; which meant…the mayor wasn't wearing any underwear or if she was, they definitely were not G rated.

Regina turned and considered the blonde. She wanted Emma to know that she knew the exact effect she was having on her. She sat back down and crossed her ankles under the sofa. "Well, then perhaps you are worried about another mother in Henry's life."

Emma shook her head, "No. I mean don't get me wrong, I would definitely be jealous if another woman stepped in and took my son's attention…"

"Like I do."

"No," Emma shrugged at the surprised look on Regina's face. "I know you; you don't threaten me in that way."

"But I do in other ways?" she asked somewhat hopefully.

Emma caught the note of playfulness. "Nope, you're a pussy cat, Regina."

The woman exhaled through her nose. "I am not."

"On second thought, you know what does scare me?" Emma asked deadpan and the mayor had difficulty deciding if the woman was serious or not.

"What?" she lifted a brow.

"How you can casually entertain company while wearing no underwear." She leaned back and glared at Regina in mock outrage as she sipped her cider. "Unforgivable."

"Now, dear." The brunette said. "First of all, I will not be given fashion advice from a woman who only wears skinny jeans, tees, and leather jackets; secondly, I am wearing underwear, what do you think are holding up my stockings?" She smiled wickedly and Emma's mouth went dry.

"Umm, Magic?"

Regina indulged in a chuckle. She had never seen Emma this out of control before. "No, I'm not doing magic remember? This was all put together by…traditional…means." She said gesturing to her outfit.

"I'm a big fan of…tradition." Emma said wryly and drained her glass. "So what is the cure, now that we've decided what to do with Mendel, we need to figure out what to do about you."

"Well, I spent the larger part of yesterday studying my books and came across several spells very similar to the one my mother placed on me. I actually feel quite silly for not realizing it sooner."

Emma doubted seriously whether Regina often felt silly. "So what do we have to do?"

"It's mostly up to you actually."

"I thought it would be." Emma said darkly. "Will it hurt?"

"Just your pride, dear."

Emma's head snapped up and looked deep into Regina's dark eyes. "No, please tell me that I don't have to take on the curse."

"No, no, no, Miss Swan. That's not how magic often works. You don't trade places to cure someone."

"Well, then what has to happen?"

Regina was quiet for a minute, enjoying dangling the information over her head; reveling in the fear of Emma's angst. "Do you remember the nature of the spell?"

"Yeah, when you get mad at me you have to come to me for help."

"I have to _submit._" Regina emphasized the last word.

Emma shuddered at the delicious way it passed through those full lips. "Right, if that's what you want to call it-"

"That's what the spell considers it; submission." She said again and noticed that her companion looked flushed.

"Ok, you have to submit to me for mercy from your deplorable sexual frenzy." Emma said darkly and watched her face.

The brunette smiled wickedly once more, "Now you are understanding. Naturally, to break the curse would require the opposite."

"I thought you said I wouldn't take on the curse-"

"Not the curse, dear. The submission." Regina's voice rang through the room loudly and Emma stared at her.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Thanks again for the reviews...the more I get the harder time I have withholding the chapters...with that said, enjoy the new installment and don't curse me if it leaves you...wanting ;)

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"_Not the curse, dear. The submission." Regina's voice rang through the room loudly and Emma stared at her._

"So I would have to submit to you, in order for you to be cured? What the _fuck_!?" Emma shouted and jumped up. "That makes no goddamn sense."

Regina watched her rage with quiet satisfaction. "I think it makes perfect sense. What is the one thing my mother knew I was incapable of doing?"

"Submitting." Emma mumbled in irritation and dawning mortification.

"Therefore, had it been you that was hexed, even if I were to take mercy on you and deliver you from your…frustration, I would never allow you to…dominate me. Thereby, insuring the continuation of your suffering and humiliation."

"How do you know I won't do the same thing?"

"Because you're good, and good always plays by the rules." The mayor said darkly and watched Emma sit back down in despair and reluctant resolution.

"Right well, let's get this over with then." She sighed.

"It doesn't work like that, Miss Swan." Regina's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't just give up. That's not sexual submission. There is no reason to dominate if you don't fight just a little." She smiled. "It doesn't work like that." She repeated.

"What doesn't work like that? The curse; or _you_?" Emma asked.

"Either." The brunette smirked. Emma's body responded to the predatory grin on the older woman's face. It was humming and throbbing already with the idea of Regina bending her over and… "Miss Swan?" The blonde looked up. "Do you need a moment to collect yourself?"

"I'm ready, let's get to this." She said and stood; her feet carried her up the stairs and into Regina's bedroom with the brunette trailing behind, slowly. She entered and turned to watch Regina walk into her room and shut the door with a solid thud.

"I do hope you can handle what I'm capable of." The mayor said quietly and watched the woman. "I do tend to have a…roughness about me."

"You? Nah," Emma shrugged and tossed her jacket on the chair. "You're practically virginal." She shucked her boots and straightened to square her shoulders like a boxer. "I would never peg you for being into garters or biting or riding crops."

Regina smiled broadly, the blonde had named her three favorite things. The perfect cocktail for seducing Regina Mills and Emma had nailed them all. "Yes, well looks can be deceiving." She said advancing on Emma with swishing hips. The blonde took an involuntary step backward but stopped when her knees hit the side of the bed. "For, example, I'm stronger than I look." She shoved Emma back onto the bed and leaned in on her slim thighs as the blonde looked up at her in surprise. "Now, take off your clothes." She turned on her heel and disappeared into her closet briefly.

Emma looked down at her tousled state on Regina's bed. _What have I gotten myself into?_ She thought as she could hear the mayor rummaging about her closet. And what torturous weapon would she be bringing out of that door? She had half a mind to tell Regina to fuck off and deal with it on her own, so sure was she that the brunette was about to take out every sexual frustration she had ever had on Emma's offered body. However, when Regina did exit and Emma saw what was in her hand, her mouth went dry….again.

"Is that-?"

"A riding crop, yes."

"I didn't know you rode."

"I haven't in quite a while." The witch said smirking and Emma realized they weren't talking about horses anymore. Regina advanced on her slowly holding the crop out to her side and gripping it like a tennis star about to deliver a devastating forehand.

"But that's just for looks right? I mean, you aren't actually going to use it on me?" Emma squirmed as the brunette trailed the crop up her inner thigh to her flat stomach and finally up to run across her jawline.

"I thought I told you to take off your clothes, Miss Swan." The mayor smiled in a less-than-friendly way.

"Yeah well, I decided I was more comfortable like this-"

SMACK! The riding crop came down on her thigh with force; though not as much as Regina was capable of. Emma bucked up and rolled away from her. Jumping off the bed, she pressed her back into the opposite wall with a look of astonishment on her face.

"Holy fucking shit!" She glared as the pain quickly subsided but the rushing of heat between her thighs persisted. "That hurt."

"And you liked it."

"I did not!" she yelled, knowing she was lying. What was more, she knew that the brunette knew that she was lying.

"Take off your clothes."

"So that you can smack my bare skin? No, thank you!"

"No, so that I won't smack you any further. If you behave, I won't use it again…however, if you continue to be naughty; you will be punished."

Emma's knees weakened and she thought that she might like being punished by Regina and her riding crop. But she shook her head to clear the fog; a gesture that was not lost on the mayor. "No, stop beating me or I won't take off my clothes. What do you think about that?"

"Well," Regina said slowly, stepping onto the mattress so that she towered over Emma; her heels leaving marks in her designer sheets. "I think you're full of shit." She said and surprised the blonde with her own profanity. "You could have said that you would leave if I didn't stop, but you didn't do that. Which tells me that you are enjoying this little game. Secondly," her eyes flicked southward to Emma's center. "You're arousal is evident by the wet spot on your jeans." She said and Emma glanced down.

Suddenly the brunette was upon her, pushing her into the wall. "You lied." Emma said as her body connected with Regina's.

"I did."

"That was cheap."

"You liked it." She whispered in her ear before biting down on her earlobe roughly.

Emma moaned in her throat but tried to stifle the sound before it reached past her lips. Regina however, smiled at the rumble. She spun her around and tossed her face first onto the bed before jumping astride her and pressing her into the sheets. The brunette fisted one hand into her curls and turned her head to the side so that she could plunder her mouth, biting and sucking her bottom lip viciously.

Emma responded with enthusiasm. Never had she been treated this roughly when lovemaking. It was delicious and painful and…Regina. The brunette ripped off her tank, unhooked her bra, and raked down her back with long fingernails; leaving angry red trails behind. Emma hissed and tried to roll over but Regina yanked her hair and gave her backside and gentle tap with the riding crop; reminding Emma of the weapon. Emma groaned at the sensation of Regina's stockings sliding against her bare sides.

"I think you like this. This turns you on doesn't it?" She asked and when Emma didn't answer she gave her a less gentle rap with the crop. The blonde bit down on her bottom lip but Regina leaned down and took that from her as well. She pulled it into her mouth and sucked it mercilessly. "Answer me, you like this don't you?"

But Emma refused. Regina smirked and slapped the crop across her legs menacingly while still sucking on her lip. The blonde moaned into her mouth. "Yes, I like this, you sadistic bitch." She said and the brunette chuckled against her lips.


	15. Chapter 15

_The blonde moaned into her mouth. "Yes, I like this, you sadistic bitch." She said and the brunette chuckled against her lips._

"My… breaking you will be fun." She said and from the way her eyes shone in the dim light, Emma didn't doubt it.

"Fuck you." She said defiantly and was punished by three quick whips with the riding crop.

"What a dirty little mouth you have." Regina laughed, "No matter, I'll find some use for it." She tossed off her jacket and unbuttoned her blouse before rolling Emma over to face her.

Regina rose before her, olive skin flushed and eyes dark swirling. The blonde realized with a jolt that the brunette was enjoying this as much as she was; it wasn't just about the power with Regina, the mayor was incredibly turned on. Sure, the need to dominate was clearly demonstrated in the wicked curve of her smile and the mocking arch of her brow, but the darkness in her eyes also depicted a want; a need to bring Emma pleasure. This information emboldened the blonde and the playfulness returned. "Oh, does Her Majesty wish to teach me a lesson?"

Regina stiffened at the title as arousal swept through her body. "Oh, yes." She smirked. "The Queen requires that her subjects are loyal, accommodating, and above all, obedient." She reached behind her and unsnapped her bra, allowing her breast to jiggle free before tossing the blouse and lacy contraption to the floor.

Emma's mouth went dry. She reached up but her hands were batted away. The blonde growled and reached up again until a smart slap landed on her thighs with the leather switch.

"Oh…" she moaned.

"Patience," Regina leaned over her and Emma could feel her straining nipples grazing her stomach. "You have nothing I do not permit." She said. "Is that understood?" Emma glared at her and the crop came down. "Understood?" the blonde nodded and laid back as the woman crept a hand up stomach to her breast; she cupped and squeezed it gently then with more pressure. She let out a hiss. "Mmm…so full." She smiled with the Evil Queen's grin and fear and arousal bolted up in the blonde.

Emma could not believe how fucking turned on she was at the moment. Regina's hands like feathers across her flesh; the constant pressure of her heat as she straddled her (not to mention those garters Jesus fucking Christ) and the smell of magic and spice that clung to the woman's hair and skin were undoing. Couple that with the dangerous lust and hunger in her eyes and the blonde knew she would role-play all day.

"Does Her Majesty like what she sees?"

"Oh, Her Majesty does." Regina crooned and took her mouth in a passionate, swirling kiss. "I dare say, you'll be one of the best of my conquests."

Emma shivered. "Then I would ask Her Majesty to get fucking on with it, respectfully of course."

Regina laughed slowly, surprised and delighted by the woman beneath her. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time. Her fingers rolled the sensitive nub between them and tugged hard. "I will take my time and _you_ will be grateful to have my hands on you. The Evil Queen doesn't indulge many, my dear and with a smart mouth like yours, you will be lucky to get out of this alive."

"Promise?" Emma asked and looked up at her with mocking green eyes. "Or are you making empty threats?"

Regina hissed and molded the flesh in her hands roughly. She pinched one nipple painfully and took the other into her mouth to suckle and lave at it with her deft tongue. "Oh!" Emma cried out in surprise and mingled pain and pleasure. The brunette laughed and bit down on the tender flesh of her ribs, leaving an outline of perfect teeth as she continued to pinch. "Regina." Emma whispered and that word fogged the brunette's brain, suddenly, she needed Emma's hands on her.

The queen rolled Emma over so that the blonde lay between her thighs. Emma down and blinked in confusion until Regina laughed up at her. She wrapped a strong hand in Emma's curls and jerked her mouth down to hers, kissing her fiercely and then releasing her. She could see that the blonde's lips were swollen. "You are going to pleasure your queen now." She said and laid back before shucking her skirt and spreading her legs to afford Emma a view of her sodden underwear and tight garters. She relaxed, but did not relinquishing her riding crop. "But you must ask permission." Emma growled and Regina lay into her back with the leather strip.

"Ouch."

"Ask permission, dear."

"Would it suit Her Majesty if I were to pleasure her?"

"How do wish to pleasure your queen?" Regina asked and Emma's eyes dropped immediately to her breasts. "Very well. You have my permission."

Emma didn't hesitate; she sank her mouth down and clamped it over first one nipple and then the other. Regina writhed and panted beneath her. She tugged on Emma's curls trying to slow her down and Emma finally relented, kissing down her stomach to the mayor's smooth thighs. CRACK. The crop came down on her leg sharply and the blonde moaned but looked up at her abruptly.

"You didn't ask permission."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty." She kissed lightly along her hips. "May I?"

"May you what?" Regina asked somewhat breathlessly.

Emma narrowed her eyes; she was so close, she could feel the brunette's heat and smell her sweet musk through the delicate lace of her panties. "May I pleasure you?"

"Be specific." Regina instructed; she needed to hear Emma say it.

"May I lick My Queen's pussy?" Emma asked, unable to tear her gaze away from Regina's dark eyes.

"If you must." She replied and tried to feign boredom but Emma wasn't fooled. She pushed aside the fabric with deft fingers and sank her mouth into the woman's wet, ready folds. Emma had her near the brink in seconds. "Miss Swan!" Regina called and bucked under her mouth, thrusting her hips unwillingly to the magic of Emma's tongue. She was nearing the peak with such intensity that it frightened her. She felt as though her body would fall apart upon climax so electrifying were the sensations running in her veins.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Emma answered.

Regina jerked her hair, trying to pull her away from her swollen folds. "You must stop, now!" She said.

"You gave me permission."

"I'm revoking it!" She hissed in pleasure and angst. She tugged on Emma's head again but the blonde was having none of it.

"Are you sure you want to do that, My Queen?" Emma purred into her folds and the queen bucked again.

"Yes." She seethed and whipped Emma with her crop. But the blonde didn't move; she continued to pleasure Regina. The brunette whipped her twice more in desperation but heard nothing but the sound of Emma's sighs and the noises of her eating. She slapped her once again with the leather riding crop and saw that she had left a red, angry whelp on her back. "Stop." She said once more but Emma seemed not to hear. She continued her fast-paced plunder of the queen's sensitive folds and slipped two fingers inside her.

Regina relinquished control and allowed Emma to make love to her; vowing that she would get her back for her insubordination. She writhed as the blonde tipped her over the brink. "Oh!" She shouted and trapped Emma's head between her thighs with her hands and clenched around the fingers inside her. "Oh, Emma." She cried out and came with a roar in her ears and a satisfied sigh from Emma as she wiggled her fingers mercilessly inside her to prolong the orgasm.

When Regina finally recovered, she looked up at Emma who was still lying between her thighs and grinning like the proverbial cat in the cream. "I hope you enjoyed that, Miss Swan."

"I did."

"Your Queen does not like to be disobeyed."

"Am I going to pay for that?" Emma licked her lips, still tasting Regina on them.

"Indeed you are, you ungrateful little bitch." Regina flipped her over and ripped off her jeans.


	16. Chapter 16

"You are going to suffer." She said and pulled down Emma's panties to reveal that they had been thoroughly soaked. "Eager?" Emma looked away but Regina grabbed her chin as the blonde had done the other night. "Answer me." She slapped her with the crop; Emma's new favorite toy.

But the blonde was stubborn, as she knew Regina wanted her to be. Regina slapped her again. "Oh!" Emma exhaled and writhed in pleasure.

"Tell me that you are eager for me."

"I am eager for Her Majesty."

"To do what?" Regina's lip curled.

"To fuck me." Emma whispered.

"Is there anyone else you want?" Regina asked quietly with fire in her eyes. Emma looked at her in bemusement and thought, _Well, that's new_. She and Regina weren't actually dating; their intimacy was born of a need beyond their control. But as Emma thought about it, she could not think of anyone else that she wanted more than the brunette scowling down at her.

"No," she felt herself answering. "No, My Queen; I am only yours."

Regina growled in satisfaction and abruptly slipped two fingers inside her. Emma cried out in shock and pleasure as they began working back and forth, pumping slowly into her and passing her clit with every glance. But it wasn't enough and Regina knew it. "How does that feel?"

"Good…" Emma gasped and the queen chuckled." …more."

"What did you say?" Emma wouldn't answer and Regina whipped her deliciously.

"If it would please Her Majesty, I would like more." She finally stammered.

"More of this?" Regina deepened her fingers and ground the heel of her hand into Emma's clit. The blonde woman grasped her shoulders and bucked her hips. "What else, my dear?"

"If Her Majesty would indulge," Emma panted out; turned on by her own submissive role and the dominant one in which Regina fit so perfectly. "and use her mouth to pleasure me."

The brunette slowed her teasing and looked down at the blonde seriously. "That is very intimate."

"If Her Majesty wishes not to-"

"Quiet," she whipped her and Emma whimpered. "I was not finished." She flicked her clit with her thumb as she slowly pumped. "I was going to ask whether you truly wanted that." Emma looked up in surprise at the uncertainty in Regina's eyes.

"I want it very much, Your Majesty."

"Call me Regina." The brunette said as she stared down at her with an odd expression.

"Regina, I want your mouth on my-" Emma began but the mayor slid down abruptly and opened her thighs wider, cutting the blonde off.

The smallest amount of self-doubt crept into her mind. As she stared at the swollen, enticing wetness of Emma's sex she was reminded that she had no clue what she was doing. But the blonde was moving against her and shifting her hips, showing her that she was ready for her mouth on her. But still the brunette held back; what if she did it wrong? What if Emma didn't like it?

"Regina?" Emma called softly. "Please, don't tease me. Please, Regina. I want your mouth on me." That clenched the deal for the brunette. She leaned forward and sank her mouth into Emma eagerly.

_It's not that hard_, Regina thought as she tried to replicate what Emma had done to her by pulling the swollen clit into her mouth and flicking simultaneously as she sucked. The blonde pressed her hips up into Regina's face and the brunette chuckled against her. "Soften your haste, Miss Swan." She said and tortured her by slowing the pace. "We have all night."

"Oh God, no!"

"What's wrong?"

"You can't torture me like this all night."

"Oh, but I can…unless…"

"Unless what?" Emma panted.

"You beg me to make you come."

The blonde groaned, the words sounded so wickedly delicious coming from Regina's prudish mouth. "Please, Your Majesty-"

"Regina." The brunette slapped her hard on the flank with the crop.

"Oh, Regina, I want to come, please make me."

"Do you think it would please me to see you trembling under me?"

"Yes, My Qu-" SMACK. "-Regina." Emma hastily changed it. The damn woman changed her mind like Emma changed her breath. "I think you want me to come…for you." She added the last two words and Regina sucked in a breath against Emma's thigh.

"Then come for me." She said and devoured her sex.

Emma stiffened and moaned. "Regina." She cried out and clenched her body. The brunette slipped a finger in before the folds could close around it and trap it there. When they did, Regina smiled devilishly. She reveled in the power that she had taken from Emma and the pleasure she had put in its place.

When the blonde collapsed backwards, Regina crawled up to lay beside her. She pulled the blonde into her arms and stroked her hair absently. Suddenly, Regina's body stiffened and convulsed. Emma sat back in alarm when a spurting of black fog came out of the brunette's nose and mouth before swirling and dissipating into the air.

The brunette collapsed back into the sheets and wiped her eyes and nose. They had teared up. Emma grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into her arms before looking about the room as if the mist would make another appearance. "Regina! What the fuck was that?!"

"I believe that was the curse; coming out of me."

"So it's over? You're cured!?" Emma laughed and smiled. "So it worked!"

"Yes, it did." Regina whispered softly; she was suddenly exhausted. "But now, I must sleep." She promptly passed out; drained by the ordeal she had suffered the past several weeks. Emma pulled her close and tucked herself around Regina before closing her own eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

Regina awakened alone the next morning. She rose and stretched noticing that her muscles were slightly stiff and as memories of the previous night washed over her heat and cold simultaneously flushed through her veins. _God, did that really happen?_ She looked about the room and saw her undies tossed carelessly across the lounge sofa and the riding crop tangled in the sheets at the edge of the bed. _Obviously so._

Stepping to the window and pulling her robe over her shoulders she wondered briefly where the blonde was. Noticing that her bug was not parked on the street any longer, Regina flicked her hair out of her face and frowned. A sinking feeling crept around her heart and she pressed her palms to her flat stomach. _Is this disappointment?_ She thought incredulously. Was she actually sad that Emma had left? The brunette let out a snort of derision at herself.

_I'm crazy_. She thought, not for the first time. The blonde had simply fulfilled her duty as "Savior." She had come to Regina's aid just as she always had and most likely always would; out of a sense of obligation. Resentment trickled into her blood and lit it aflame. The anger she had tried so hard to keep in check the past week raged forth in full force.

By the time the brunette stepped out of her shower she was seething and stewing with repressed hatred for Emma and her entire family. By the time she made it downstairs, into her kitchen she was apoplectic with every perceived hurt the blonde had ever inflicted upon her. She stopped in the middle of designing torturous revenge for the Sheriff when her eyes lighted on a piece of paper that had been haphazardly taped to her coffee maker. Regina strode forward and ripped it off; glaring it down as if determined to turn it to ash with her dark eyes.

_Regina, _

_I didn't want to wake you because you deserved the rest. I figured it would be weird to creep out without a note though so I left this one exactly where you could find it. (I'm smart right?) Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I'm not gonna tell anybody about all the…stuff that happened. It's no body's business but yours so I don't want you to think that I would tell. Secondly, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and have game night with Henry and I this weekend. Now that Snow and David have moved into their own place, it's been too quiet. Just think about it._

_E_

The letter fluttered to the counter as Regina pressed a bracing hand against the granite. Suddenly, she felt a flush of guilt come over her and her hands trembled as she folded up the letter and stuck it in her pocket before making her usual coffee and high vitamin breakfast. She tried to muster up the same resentment she had felt before to ground her in familiar emotions. But she couldn't; all she was left with was a feeling of unease. Regina wasn't quite sure if it was from guilt or simply from being forced to navigate uncharted waters.

_Does Emma expect a relationship? Is she doing this for Henry? Why is she being so nice?_ All these thoughts raced through her head as she snatched up her keys and headed out the door to begin her daily errands. The thought struck her that perhaps the blonde was weary of fighting; that she was calling a truce and merely wanted to extend an olive branch. Muttering to herself and shaking her head she slid behind the wheel of her Mercedes and brought it to life.

Emma stopped at Granny's for breakfast and was met with an unusually inquisitive glance from Ruby. "Something I can help you with, Rubes?"

The she-wolf leaned in closely, pressing her cleavage to the counter and looking up at Emma with a feral grin. "Your bug was parked outside the Queen's house late last night."

Emma shrugged. "We're working on figuring out what it was that August was trying to say before he was-" Emma waved an imaginary wand, "-turned back into a little boy."

"Mmmhmm. I'm sure Regina can offer a great deal of…knowledge."

The blonde tried to seem unaffected. "She's actually pretty smart and helpful, when she's not throwing fireballs at your head. She knows more about the way magic and this town works than anyone else really."

"She should." Ruby snorted then looked at Emma with seriousness in her eyes. "She's trying, isn't she? To be better, I mean?"

"Yes. She meets with Hopper, she hasn't lied to Henry or me, and she's not used magic in a long time." Emma sighed and looked down at the bag that Ruby shoved across the counter. "I feel like she _wants _this. Before, we all wanted it for her. We wanted a redemption story and a powerful ally. We wanted it for Henry; needed him to have a working relationship with the woman that raised him."

"But it's different this time." Ruby nodded. "I've noticed it too." She smiled. "The other day, she left me a tip; an actual _tip_, Emma. Like four fucking dollars or something. Of course she just tossed her hair and smirked when I asked her what it was for but…I knew."

"Yeah, she really wants to do better. For Henry mostly….but I think part of her is tired of fighting and tired of being looked at as bad. If she really puts her mind to this whole _good_ thing, I pity the fool that stands in her way."

Ruby nodded slowly as Emma took a swing of coffee and then grinned slightly. "So are you sleeping with her?"

"What!?" She spewed coffee everywhere. "Really, Rubes? Could you imagine that working?"

The brunette shrugged and smirked again. "I don't know. I would totally watch."

"Whatever." Emma muttered, threw her money on the counter. "Keep the change." And stormed out as Ruby called to her.

"Regina's a better tipper!"

Regina stepped into Archie's office still slightly ruffled. All morning had been a back and forth of mood swings concerning the blonde sheriff. The emotions ranged from extreme dislike (the brunette could no longer bring herself to label it as "hate") to guilt, to appreciation. She was almost glad she was meeting with the bug; perhaps she could ask him his general perception?

"Regina, it's nice to see you." He said looking up from his paperwork. "When you canceled our last meeting I was nervous that you…" He trailed off.

"That my hiatus was permanent."

He nodded. "Well, you're here now." He gestured and she sat slowly, dropping her bag to the floor and clasping her hands in her lap. "Something is bothering you." He said, putting down his notebook and turning his full attention to the woman before him.

She shot him a look as if to say, _Isn't something always?_ But he just smiled politely and waited for her to speak. Finally, she sighed. "I find myself in a cycle. I want to prove to Henry and all those other idiots that I can be…less destructive. I want Henry's trust and love and I know that to get it, I have to be vulnerable and honest with him…but I find myself trapped in a situation in which the person that I am forced to be vulnerable with is…not Henry."

"Ok. And this person is not trustworthy with your vulnerability?"

"I don't know." She said quietly and thought back to the letter. "I mean to say that perhaps, out of everyone, this is the person that is most trustworthy; however, she is also the least likely confidant." She muttered then looked up in fear when she realized she had used the feminine pronoun.

To his credit, Dr. Hopper showed no sign of recognition and Regina relaxed, realizing he wouldn't judge her. This thought immediately set her on edge again however. Shouldn't he judge her?

"I see. Does Henry know of your….connection to this person?"

Regina tilted her head sensing that the bug knew exactly who her confidant was. "I suppose he must."

"Don't you think that's setting a good example for him? If he sees you working with and connecting with his…" Archie hesitated, "fellow community members don't you think that will speak volumes to him?"

Regina considered this. "I see the value in that."

The red-headed man leaned forward. "Regina, people are beginning to thaw out. They saw what you and Cora did; but they also saw what Cora was like."

"I don't need pity-"

"And you'll find none." He cut across with his gentle voice. "All I'm saying is that people are now seeing your humanity; they are relating to you now. That's a good thing. It's a step toward reaching neutrality."

"I'm not seeking redemption-" scathing tones scalded the man but he pressed forward.

"No one said anything about redemption. But finding balance would be good for everyone. I think you should continue to let Henry in. I also think that this person, this woman you are connecting with should be afforded your trust. Unless she has proved herself to be untrustworthy, of course." He said with an understanding glint in his eye.

"But she can undo me." Regina said quietly looking at her lap. "She already has."

Archie leaned in and put a tentative touch on her clasped hands. She stiffened slightly but didn't pull away. "Change is frightening. But were things really better before? Were you truly happy? Did you feel peaceful and content?" She continued to look down. "You know, maybe this person needs you too." He said and sat back. Regina's head whipped up.

"What?"

"Maybe this person could use _you_ as a confidant or as support. Perhaps you two have a great deal in common and can help bring balance to one another." He smiled at her surprised face. "Can't hurt to try something new can it?"


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- Thanks for all the praise and critiques; they're like air to me :) Less smut in this chapter, but don't let that deter you, dear readers. It's still pretty good; of course, I'm biased ;)

Emma looked up when Ruby flounced into the station carrying a to-go bag. "What's this? I haven't ordered lunch yet." She rubbed her temples and leaned back in her chair. Her father was out of the station; he usually took his lunch to school to eat with his wife which left Emma to fend her herself as she had always done.

"Our ex-mayor stopped by Granny's and asked if you had been in yet."

"Regina asked about me?" Emma's stomach flopped.

Ruby smiled knowingly. "Yeah, said she had some paperwork for you. Wanted to know if I wouldn't mind dropping it by when I took you lunch."

"Right, so where did _that_ come from?" She pointed at the sack in her hand.

"The Mayor ordered for you. Told me to bring it by sooner rather than later on account of needing the paperwork done." Ruby watched Emma's face perk in interest then apprehension.

"Tell me it's not a salad and an…apple." She moaned and brought the bag to her face to sniff hopefully. "Mmm…" She brought out the to-go container and it revealed grilled chicken, green beans, broccoli salad, and scalloped potatoes. "Well, it's not my usual burger and fries." She tried very hard to hide her surprise and glee that the brunette had not ordered her something disgusting. "But it will do. Thanks, Rubes."

The woman looked down at her and smiled wolfishly. "Don't mention it." She sat down in the chair as Emma devoured her lunch. "So are you two dating?"

The blonde nearly choked on her meal. "Really, Ruby?"

"What? I'm just asking. I see the way you two eye-fuck across the diner-"

"What?! We do not!"

"And the way you seek each other out merely to start an argument which you both obviously enjoy." She continued as the woman turned red before her eyes and continued to shovel food into her mouth. "Not to mention that crazy charge in the air. I'm a wolf remember? I sense things and smell things that most don't. For instance…." Her eyes danced happily. "I've been smelling her on you the past few days."

"Well, we do share a son."

"What I'm smelling is not exactly…kid friendly." The she-wolf's eyes lingered and Emma flushed against her will. "I can smell something more intimate than perfume."

The blonde looked down and continued to eat when she looked back up the brunette was still staring. "Ok, so yeah, we slept together."

"I knew it!" She cried and jumped up; fist pumping the air like Emma had scored a touchdown. "Yes! That's my girl!"

"Easy, Ruby. You can't tell anyone. I'm serious. It's a bizarre situation and I don't want to spook her off."

The brunette dropped back into the seat. "So it's more than sex?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't want to fuck it up before it gets out of the starting gate. It's really, really important that you don't tell anyone, even Granny. And especially not Snow." The blonde shuddered at the thought.

"Yeah, she won't get it will she?"

"Afraid not." She finished her food and looked up at the woman watching her closely. "What?"

"Emma, if she makes you happy then nothing else matters, you know that right?"

"You're counting chickens."

"No, I'm covering my bases. Everyone will come around. Don't worry about them. Focus on what you want; I think all things work out for a reason."

"Fate?"

Ruby shrugged. "I mean there has to be some sort of balance, right? Maybe this is the answer. Maybe this is how we will all heal." Then she looked up at the puzzled look on Emma's face. "Just don't change your mind because someone says it won't work." She stood and walked out and the blonde leaned forward to open the folder Regina had sent her.

Inside were various forms and she took a closer look. Regina was no longer mayor, why was she sending her paperwork? Emma shuffled through and found a note in the back with the ex-mayor's loopy flourishes.

_ Sheriff, _

_ I have attached the various forms and records necessary to keep the town running smoothly. I fear that we are no longer protected by the magical enchantment that kept us hidden away for so many years. With that said, it is important that our legal and political systems resemble closely that of other towns in the country. Because I am the only one that has any experience in this area, I felt that it was my duty to pass the torch to you in a sense. _

_ I have made a list of all things to be considered. I also suggest that you begin town meetings rather than tossing this all to the Charmings. Running a kingdom and monarchy is different from running a town; it's a totally separate animal. I also suggest that you hold an election for mayor: it would build trust and cohesion within the community. _

_Perhaps we can speak about these things briefly when I come over this weekend? I would rather discuss this face-to-face; I know how your mind wanders. I will be bringing food to cook. We are not eating take-out or pizza and, as I have already been in one fire with you, you are not to touch the stove. _

_RM_

Emma sat back and scrutinized the letter. She took in Regina's neatly looped, pristine cursive and felt a smile creeping over her face. The brunette had managed to both insult her and give her the impression that it had been her idea all along to be invited to her apartment. She thought about how happy Henry would be that the woman had accepted and mentally made a note to do a thorough cleaning of the small loft before Regina swooped in and cast a critical eye on the place.

She reclined in her chair and allowed the smile on her face to broaden. Could this work? The blonde couldn't pretend that images of a happy family didn't dance behind her eyes. She shook the images away as memories of the previous night crashed around her and she felt her body heat with growing anticipation. She knew that both she and Regina were damaged and that a relationship, though not out of the question in Emma's mind, would be difficult and backbreaking work for both of them. The blonde was definitely willing to work it out; she had never felt as strong a pull to anyone as she did with Regina.

The idea of "true love" mortified her and she dismissed it. She and Regina were not Snow and James…but the thought of family and security and happiness lingered in her mind as she considered that she herself was most relaxed and content when in the presence of the brunette. Her smart quips and oozing sex appeal definitely put her on edge but in a way that seemed familiar and comfortable. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, tossing the already disheveled curls. _We'll see._ She thought to herself.


	19. Chapter 19

A resounding knock came at the door of the apartment and Henry leapt up. He opened it and began taking bags from Regina's laden arms. "Mom!" he shouted happily and led her into the kitchen. "I'm glad you're here!"

She put down her groceries as Emma came down the steps and stood watching the woman and boy interact. "I'm glad to be here." She said with her back to the blonde. "It was very nice for you two to invite me."

"It was my idea."

"Well, thank you." She said and petted his hair softly. "Did Miss Swan take much convincing?"

"Nope, she seemed pretty excited-"

"I was glad to have the chance at a decently cooked meal." Emma cut in and stomped down the remaining steps with a faint blush.

"Indeed, well I'll begin." She turned back to Henry. "Homework?"

"It's the weekend." He muttered.

"Then why did you bring all those books home?" Emma eyed him suspiciously and he looked up in surprise. His eyes flitted from woman to woman. Finding no weakness in their united front, he shrugged and shuffled off to finish his work in the living room.

"Well done, Miss Swan." Regina commented and began to unpack her ingredients. "I'm glad to know that you do have a backbone when it comes to Henry."

"I have a lot of backbone….I simply have weaknesses just like every other human." She shrugged as if to say, _sue me._

The comment pushed Regina back into her conversation with the shrink earlier that morning as she methodically began to prepare dinner. Emma broke out a bottle of wine and poured the woman a glass before popping the cap of a beer for herself. The blonde watched Regina's hands as she wielded the knife with expert precision. Her mouth watered as she pictured a riding crop in her hands instead.

"Thank you for inviting me over, Miss Swan."

Emma shrugged. "I figured you could use a dose of normal after what you went through this week."

Regina's eyes flashed in humor. "This." She tapped the counter and gestured around. "Is normal?"

"Well, normal for Storybrook, I guess. I thought it would be good for Henry to see that you and I can get along."

"I seem to remember that we more than get along, Miss Swan."

Emma blushed and the sight pleased the brunette. "Well, he doesn't know that. I think that would scar him for life."

The knife stilled and Regina's eyes whipped up. "Why do you say that? Would he be afraid that I bewitched you? Forced you into my bed?"

"Umm….not what I was getting at." Emma eyed the knife nervously. "A kid thinking about their parents having sex is usually pretty damaging in its own right. Couple that with the fact that we used to fight like cats and dogs and the poor kid would beyond confused."

"I see." Regina breathed heavily through her nose and continued her chopping as Emma watched. "So what do you and Henry usually _do_ on game night?"

"We have Mario Kart tournaments."

"Mario Kart?"

"Were you expecting Scrabble?"

"Poker." The woman returned dryly and Emma laughed.

"That was an actual joke!"

"Curb your enthusiasm, Miss Swan. You know how I _loathe_ your happiness." She smirked playfully.

"Then you had better stop making jokes," she ticked on her fingers, "never cook again," another finger ticked off, "and cease wearing those pencil skirts."

Regina looked down at her skirt and frowned. "What's wrong with my skirt?"

"Not a damn thing." Emma said quietly and leaned over the counter. "As a matter of fact, I can think of nothing sexier than you in a pencil skirt…unless it's you in a pencil skirt with no undies."

Regina fought a blush as her body responded to the quiet voice. "Miss Swan, that is highly inappropriate." She muttered and stiffened slightly as Emma rounded the counter slowly and trailed a hand up her back enticingly. Regina could feel her fingers burn through the soft silk of her blouse. She had discarded her jacket and rolled up her sleeves when she began cooking so that she wouldn't have too much clothing in the way; now it felt like not nearly enough.

"I think we stepped way past the boundary of appropriate last week." She whispered in her ear and the brunette finished her chopping a bit unsteadily before putting down the knife. "Garters? A riding crop? Yep, way over the line."

"I didn't hear you complaining."

"Of course not." Emma smiled into her hair and pressed hands to her hips to lean into her. "You heard moaning and pleading….but no complaints."

Regina hissed as heat spread to her extremities and pooled between her thighs. "Miss Swan, Henry is in the other room-"

Emma spun her around and kissed her gently. Claiming her mouth and coaxing her tongue into exploration. The brunette sighed. This was nothing like the other night. Whereas their other encounters had been purely physical and need driven, this gentle discovery was light, pleasant and full of promise. Her hands grasped Emma's belt loops and pulled her closer so that their chests bumped and the blonde tightened her hold on Regina's hips.

Emma pulled back, "My God, woman." She panted. "That mouth of yours is going to kill me."

"You seemed to be under a different impression last time." Regina pressed kisses to the blonde's throat and neck.

"Nope, same impression; I just couldn't articulate myself as well then. You made sure of that."

"Was I too rough?"

"Not nearly." Emma said and pulled her into another kiss before releasing her and stepping back. "Now finish dinner before I decide to eat something else." Her eyes flickered down the brunette's body and Regina turned away, blushing.

Emma and Henry ate second helpings of everything and then they all washed dishes together. Regina washed, Henry dried, and Emma put the plates up. Neither woman truly considered how domestic the interaction seemed.

Emma was recounting a guy she had come down on when she worked as a bounty hunter. "So he's massive, right? And he's been drinking-" Regina made a noise through her nose and frowned slightly. Emma ignored her as Henry listened with rapt attention. "So I say to the guy, 'Mr. Roy, you've skipped bail. You're going to need to come with me."

"But he doesn't?" Henry asks.

Emma shook her head, "They never do. So he jumps up like he's going to run and I tackle him and take him outside in a headlock," another irritated noise from the brunette, "But he's huge, right? And he flips me over and pounces on me. So knee him in the-"

"Miss Swan! I think we get the picture!" Regina shoved the last dish at Henry without looking. "There is no need to be quite so graphic! Our son doesn't need to know the sordid details of your former job."

"Former job? I spend half my time as sheriff chasing Leroy and the Lost Boys-"

"That's not the point!" she hissed. "Henry is young-"

"He's old enough to know what self-defense is and when there's a good time to use it. That's what I was going to finish the story with before you interrupted." Emma growled. "Our son needs to know how to protect himself!"

"Why? Why would he need to know that? With both of us-" Regina began, completely forgetting Henry's presence. But the boy was swinging his head back and forth between them like he watching a tennis volley. He was intrigued and surprised. They seemed angry with one another but not in the same hateful way they had several months ago.

"That's exactly it! He's _our _son! Mine and yours! The son of the Queen and the son of the White Knight!"

Understanding lit Regina's face. "You think someone might try to hurt him? You think someone would dare-"

"No one in Storybrook." Emma dismissed seeing the fear in the brunette's eyes and stepping toward her to rest a hand on the fingers that Regina had clasping the countertop. Henry narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, unbeknownst to either woman. "But we both have enemies and wouldn't you rather him be knowledgeable and prepared? He's not a baby."

"Yeah! I'm almost a teenager." He announced and the women jumped apart from one another. "I'm learning sword play from Grandpa. Will that help?"

"Of course, kid." Emma said and glanced at Regina. "Your mom and I know that you're strong and smart and that no one will probably ever try to hurt you. It would just make us feel better to know that we all had a plan or something."

"You're not afraid are you, Henry?" Regina said and he stared defiantly until she said, "I know that I would be." At this he stepped up and wrapped his arms around her.

"No, I know that my Moms would never let anything happen to me." Regina's arms fell around him and Emma reached down to stroke his hair.

They all hunkered down in the living room. Emma and Henry took up their usual positions on the floor with their backs pressed to the couch. Regina sat down hesitantly in the chair to the side. The boy looked up and rolled his eyes. "You won't be able to see from over there, Mom." He explained patiently then patted the spot in between he and Emma on the floor and held out a controller to her.

"I can't sit on the floor."

"It's clean." Emma said a bit gruffly.

"Yes, I'm sure it is." Regina smirked. "But I didn't exactly wear jeans now, did I?" She stood and sat down on the couch, her shapely legs coming to rest between them. Emma found herself immediately distracted. She could have easily reached over and slid the skirt up Regina's thighs with her teeth….

"Mom? Pick a character." Henry's voice called sharply and eyed her with suspicion. He had already picked Mario.

"Hmmm…" Emma's eyes snapped back to the screen before she selected Wario then bared her teeth at her son.

"Wario? Really?"

"I like the way he laughs." Emma shrugged and then did her impression of him.

"Keep practicing, Miss Swan." Regina's thumbs shifted on her own control and she picked Toadstool.

"The mushroom?" Henry burst out.

"He's cute…" Regina's voice was soft and Emma felt a smile creeping up her face but wiped it off quickly and quipped.

"He'll be a red and white mess on the street by the time I'm done with him."

"We will see about that, Miss Swan." Henry said in a very accurate impression of his mother's lofty tone and inflection.

Both women turned around in surprise and laughed loudly. "Let's get on with it." Regina said, eyes sparkling.

Emma was surprised to find that not only did Regina know how to play Mario Kart, she was actually _good._ She beat Henry several times but Emma beat her every time. The blonde was beginning to see where her son got his terrible competitive streak.

They were racing Mushroom Gorge and Henry had fallen behind. But Emma and Regina were neck in neck. Emma crouched low over her control, hair falling forward and tongue between her teeth as Regina tailed her doggedly. The brunette slipped from the couch and sat on her knees on the carpet, rump pressed to her heels as she too leaned forward, urging the little red fungus on. They were in the final lap and Emma was beginning to get nervous until Regina shifted against her.

A little shock went through the blonde's body as Regina's thigh brushed her own. The brunette growled as Emma swooped in and stole the mystery box from in front of her. Regina rose up on her kneecaps and leaned forward to tower over the blonde. If Emma had cared to glance to the left, she would have been afforded a very enticing view of the brunette's shapely ass. As it was, Emma had difficulty keeping her eyes on the television so acutely aware was she of Regina's offered rump.

The brunette drifted around a corner to see Wario about to take the finish line in victory. "No!" Regina shouted and leaned forward even further. Emma couldn't help herself; feeling that she had already won, she took her eyes off the television for a millisecond to appreciate the roundness of Regina's curves and when she glanced back, there was a banana peel where there hadn't been one seconds ago.

"Damn!" She shouted as Wario hit the peel and spun rapidly. Toadstool zipped by barely a breath before her. But the damage was done and the brunette beside her cackled wickedly.

"I won!" She laughed again and looked down at a very sour Emma. Henry laughed and hugged her.

"Wow, I never beat Emma. You're really good, Mom."

The blonde growled and tossed down the controller. "I'm done, you two play for a bit."

"Don't be a sore loser, dear. All is fair in love and war." Emma hurrmped with impatience as Regina rose to sit back on the couch and kick off her shoes.

"Yeah, well I didn't see the banana peel."

"Probably because your eyes were elsewhere." Regina said quietly and Emma's head craned up to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

"You were obviously distracted by me." Regina's dark eyes glinted mischievously. "I was _tailing_ you pretty closely."

Emma's mouth fell open as she realized that the brunette had known exactly what she was doing. She had shamelessly distracted Emma so that she could win. However, Emma knew that she couldn't accuse her of it and admit that the brunette's ass had been the source of her distraction. She was in exquisite agony at the idea. Vowing that she would get her back, the blonde settled against the sofa with her arms across her chest watching mother and son race.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N- Dear readers, this is the final chapter of this story. Don't cry, I've caught the bug and will surely continue updating all the others. As always, thanks for the critiques and helpful comments. I hope you all have enjoyed this installment and understand my need to end it where I have. Enjoy.

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It was midnight and Henry's eyes had begun to droop. Regina noticed immediately and paused the game. "Bed. Now." She looked pointedly at Henry. "It's way past time you went to sleep."

Henry was torn. On the one hand, he was extremely tired, but on the other he felt as though he would never have another moment to share with his two mothers like this one. He looked up at them with soulful eyes. "Can we do this again? I mean, it doesn't have to be every weekend…but maybe some of the time?"

Regina's eyes flew to Emma, expecting to see jealousy. But the blonde smiled. "We can do this every night if you want, kid." Because her green eyes were focused on her son, she didn't see the conflicting emotions arise on the brunette's face. The boy leapt up and hugged her tightly.

"Awesome!" He then turned to the brunette on the couch and kissed her cheek affectionately. "Goodnight." He whispered and scampered into the bathroom.

The women could hear him brushing his teeth with vigor and both smiled when the sound of gargling met their ears. Emma rose up and situated herself on the couch before taking the remote and flicking the channel to some late night talk show. She stretched her feet out in front of her and crossed her ankles comfortably.

"Did you really mean that?" Regina asked quietly.

"What?" Emma asked, peeling her eyes away from the busty star on the couch, tittering about something the host had said.

"What you told Henry; that this could be a regular…visitation." She choked on the last word. Emma turned to regard her.

"If that's what you want." The blonde shrugged. "It makes him happy, _you_ make him happy, ya know?"

"And what about you?" Regina asked and then cleared her throat when she heard the longing in her own voice. "You wouldn't mind having game night interrupted by me, Miss Swan?" Her tone was mocking but the blonde could sense a deeper emotion beneath it.

"You didn't interrupt, Regina. You made it better." Green eyes met brown ones momentarily before Emma looked away again. "I would have no objection to Henry seeing you as much as he likes."

"Perhaps next time, we can do this at my house. I play games too, you know."

"I know." Emma's mouth twitched down. "You definitely played me tonight." She muttered.

"What was that?" Regina's eyes sparkled.

"I said, you could use some practice at the Wii. You're technique needs some work."

Regina hummed playfully. "I think my technique is effective; it's your attention span that needs work." She shifted so that her thigh brushed Emma's and leaned in provocatively. "You mustn't let yourself become so distracted by invading…stimuli."

"Well, your ass was in the air, what was I supposed to do?" The blonde knew the jig was up. "It was difficult to see anything else when all I could think about was giving it a nice slap."

Regina tossed back her head and laughed as a rush of heat permeated her middle. "You must school your emotions." She placed a hand on Emma's thigh. "Perhaps we should practice?" She leaned in and took Emma's earlobe into her mouth, sucking it thoroughly before letting it go with a faint _pop_.

Henry's voice called from the other room. "Moms, could you…tuck me in?" he asked hesitantly. Regina stood immediately as Emma tried to recover, the wetness from Regina's mouth chilling her ear and sending aftershocks through her body.

"_Coming_, Miss Swan?" She placed significant weight on the first word.

"Ladies first." Came the quip and Regina strutted away, swaying her hips more than was necessary. Emma grumbled without real malice and pushed herself from the couch.

After Henry had received a story and was closely nearing slumber, Emma kissed him on the forehead and exited; wanting to give Regina time with him alone. The blonde sauntered into the kitchen and began packing up Regina's cookware and her leftover ingredients. She sang an old song she had heard as a kid as she happily mulled through the nights events. It had been nice, having Regina there. Emma had greatly enjoyed the time she had spent with her family. _Wait, family? _She shook the thought away but, like an angry terrier; it just kept coming. She braced herself for the claustrophobia to take her over. But it didn't. Instead of the fear and anxiety she was expecting at the deep connection she had experienced, instead of the need to run and push away, a peace stole across her body.

This shocked her almost as much as the realization of the familial dynamic that existed between the two women and their son. Almost. She was extremely surprised that instead of flipping precariously, her stomach gave a gentle and pleasant trip at the thought of spending more time with Henry and Regina; together. She couldn't pretend that it didn't seem like a really fucked up version of _Modern Family,_ but maybe the boundaries of family had become so distorted, disorganized, and disarrayed in the past year that she wasn't really at a place to define the word. Who was she to say that she and Regina and Henry couldn't find their own happiness? That was, if the brunette was on board: it all really came down to her.

Continuing with her song, Emma came to the chorus and a pleasant harmony hit her ears. She turned slowly to finish the last line, finding Regina leaned on the counter. Their voices warbled and mingled, complimenting one another. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't make it any less beautiful. When the last bar had been sung, they looked at one another and smiled simultaneously. "Thank you, for packing up my things."

Emma shrugged as she always did when shown gratitude. "I figured you cooked so it was the least I could do."

Regina came around the counter and stood before her as the blonde leaned back on the sink and watched her closely. "Thank you, for allowing me a few moments alone with Henry."

Again, Emma shrugged. "He has missed you; you make him happy."

Regina, slightly incensed that her attempt at honesty and kindness was being shot down by the blonde's flippant nature, moved closer and put her hands on Emma's hips. "Thank you, for letting me back into his life." Emma opened her mouth again but Regina pressed two fingers to her lips. "Take the goddamn thanks, Swan, and stop talking."

Emma smiled slightly and pulled the fingers into her mouth, sucking and swirling them as need as longing flashed into Regina's eyes. She pulled them away slowly and then leaned up to press tender kisses to the blonde's mouth. They were light but passionate. Emma was reeling when the brunette pulled away.

"I need to get going." Regina turned but Emma held her back.

"You could stay." It was almost a whisper.

Regina looked up into her eyes. "People will notice that my car was parked overnight."

"Fuck people." Emma hissed and kissed her again with more ferocity. "I don't give two shits about what they think."

Regina took a step back, missing the contact but resolved to put some distance between them. "Your mother-"

"Will get over it."

"Your father-"

"Already has his suspicions."

Regina stared. "Really? What makes you say that?"

"James is a smart man. He notices things that my mother doesn't want to see." She explained, thinking back to the conversation they had had at the station. The understanding in his eyes had just seemed like concern and empathy at the time. But looking back now, she realized he understood what even she had not; that she cared for Regina.

"But everyone else-"

"Can deal with it." Emma stepped forward and took her hands. "Ruby already knows, she's been smelling us on each other for days." Regina blushed slightly and suddenly became incredibly interested in her own toes. "Look, I'm not saying that we have to start dating or move in together." Brown eyes found hers again. "But I do know that I've never felt so…normal as I do with you and Henry. I can't pretend that we can be the fucking Cleavers or anything but…" Emma shrugged again. "Can we see where this goes, at least? I know Henry wouldn't object and he's all that really matters, isn't he?"

Regina fought with herself. There was so much bad blood; so much dark history between the two families that she should have just said no. She should have shrugged away from Emma, grabbed her stuff, and walked out. She should have wrapped her arms around her middle and warded of the promises and happy ending that was being offered.

But the brunette was tired. She was exhausted from fighting constantly; exhausted from hating and seeking revenge. She knew she didn't deserve a second chance; and certainly not one that seemed to promise her joy and security in the way she knew her life with Emma and Henry could. She should still just say no and walk out.

"Ok." She said quietly marveling at the words that passed her lips but not regretting them. "Let's try this."

Emma's smile dazzled her as she leaned in and pressed lips to her parted mouth. "Perfect." She drew the brunette into her embrace and peppered her face and jaw with tender kisses. When Regina's mouth found her neck and raked her nails up her back, Emma pulled back, "Bed. Now."

They tumbled onto the mattress, stripping one another down as Emma pressed her gently back into the sheets. Her mouth found one nipple and then the other; sucking and cherishing the stiff peaks until Regina squirmed and clutched at her head. "Oh, Emma." She purred and the blonde traveled down her body; making no hurry until her breath fluttered over the curls at her thighs. The blonde's slow and careful touches made Regina felt cherished and cared for; she felt worshiped and appreciated. She felt accepted and supported; she felt _loved._

"Mmmm…" Emma moaned and the sound caused Regina to tremble. She spread her legs wider and urged her down.

"Make love to me, Emma." The quiet whisper met her ears and Emma looked up briefly. This came from the woman that had adamantly tried to refuse the blonde's mouth on her sex; had fought her tender, oral ministrations. But now as she looked into the face of the arching brunette beneath her, she saw only want and vulnerability. Feeling something more than physical words could describe stir within her, the blonde leaned down and ran her tongue the length of the sodden folds. Taking joy in the little sounds of approval coming from the brunette's mouth.

She dipped her head and began her gentle onslaught. There was no haste, no teasing, and no withholding. Emma simply devoured her in the best way she knew. Her mouth coaxed her toward the pressing peak and Regina moaned in need and happiness as she realized the blonde was doing everything within her power to give her exactly what she wanted.

"Look at me." Emma whispered and as brown eyes met hers, she drove her over the edge. Regina bit down on her hand as she had the first time but her eyes never left the green ones peeking over her body. She convulsed with pleasure and as the waves of ecstasy subsided; her body was filled with a loving glow of warmth and satisfaction.

When she had recovered, she pulled Emma astride her and slipped two fingers into her heat. "Ride me." She instructed, putting her spare hand on the blonde's slim hip and rocking her forward.

Emma moaned and quivered above her as she thrust and ground into Regina's fingers and palm. The brunette inserted another finger and felt the blonde begin to clench. She pulled her closer so that their breasts were brushing and their mouths were one. Emma continued to groan and press her heat into the brunette; taking all the generous woman was offering.

Regina gloried as she felt the orgasm leap through the blonde's body. She pulled their mouths apart so that she could look up into Emma's green eyes as they bore into hers. "Oh god, Regina." She moaned and pressed their foreheads together as the brunette wiggled and spread her fingers, causing aftershocks to radiate in her veins. She rolled Emma softly off of her and then pulled her close. Tears prickled her eyes as she buried her head in the crook of the blonde's arm as she lay panting and basking in the after effects of her climax.

Emma finally came back to herself and found that her lover was wrapped closely around her; hugging her fiercely. She shifted so that Regina's head was on her bicep and looked down, noticing the glimmer of tears in her eyes. One slipped under her dark lashes and Emma caught it with her thumb.

"Emma, I-" Regina began but stopped when she saw the slow, understanding smile on the blonde's face.

"I know." She said with a hint of tender smugness. "That was the best ever, huh?"

Regina grinned. "Way to ruin the moment."

"You're smiling; that's what I wanted." Emma said matter-of-factly before pulling the brunette tight to her and nuzzling her hair. "That's all I want from now on."

Regina pulled back and looked up at her with big, soulful eyes. It was a look that she usually reserved for Henry and Emma now felt the full effects of it right to the core of her soul. "I would like…for this to…work out." She said.

"But?"

"But nothing." Regina shook her head then laid it on Emma's chest as a hand covered her strong heart. "I have nothing to add."

"That's a first." Emma quipped and felt the brunette smile against her skin.

Regina was glad that their newfound intimacy had not dampened their wry remarks to one another. However, she relented for once and merely said. "I think it is one of many firsts."


End file.
